Streaming Media

     Technology has advanced and morphed society to the point that people do not do things the way they used to. Thanks to innovative technology, people no longer have to go out to a store to get a movie or TV show. Now, they can stream the videos from the Internet onto their devices. Also, they can get the news that is streamed onto the Internet as well. This new form of technology has created both positive and negative effects on today’s society.

 

     Many issues came up when society started using streaming media. Although having to go to a store can be a pain, at least it was good exercise. Streaming media has made people lazier because now they do not have to get up to watch what they want. It also made people more withdrawn from everybody else. With streaming media, people do not go out and meet new people anymore because they are too busy at home watching streaming media on their devices. People have become more introverted and lazy due to streaming media.

 

     Streaming media has changed society drastically both in a bad way and a good way. Although streaming media has made us more reserved, it also made us more connected in some ways. When something new comes out everybody is informed about it more quickly due to the media. Streaming media has also made it easier to talk to somebody because it gives people more things to talk about. Streaming media has both a bad and a good effect on the people in society.

The Media's Political Influence

     We are in the middle of the primary season, and things have been crazy. A large part of the craziness is caused by the media. The media is treating the primaries like a reality show than a serious political process. A normal political season consists of debates and ads, but lately the media is constantly talking about the candidates. The candidates, especially Donald Trump, have been entertaining and the media helps put them in the spotlight.

     Usually I think there isn't enough attention on the political process. This year there is a lot of attention, but is that a good thing? I think it would be if it was informative, but the media tends to only put out sound bits of interesting moments, instead of informing the voters. The result is worse than not having enough information.

     First, when the media focuses on the more entertaining candidates the others get left out and forgotten, even though they were probably perfect for the job. This year has been especially bad because all of the attention is going towards Donald Trump. This makes him more popular with the voters than other republican candidates. It also forces the other candidates to say more controversial things to gain attention. This is totally unfair to the candidates whose ethics keep him or her from using these tactics.

     Also, when the media just puts out the entertaining stories the voters often aren't getting the truth. Too often we hear something scandalous about a candidate but the story that is showed isn't the whole story or sometimes isn't even true. Then either the truth never comes out or even if it does a lot of people believe what they first heard.

     In my opinion, the media has a responsibility to give equal time to the candidates. They also have to remain as unbiased as possible and put out facts. That's the only way to have a fair election. 

Favorite Movie

     Last week I wrote a blog about what I would say if someone criticized one of my favorite bands. This week I will write my response to criticism towards my favorite movie. It wasn't easy to choose a favorite; there is Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. However, I have to go with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi as my favorite movie of all.

     First let me say, nobody should criticize the Star Wars movies, okay, maybe The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, but none of the others. If someone did criticize Return of the Jedi, I would tell them what makes it such an amazing movie. It began, of course, with the creator, George Lucas. He is a brilliant filmmaker. Before the Star Wars saga, he made American Graffiti, which was a success, and after Star Wars, he helped create the Indiana Jones movies. So it isn't surprising that the Star Wars movies would be successful.

     Now, what about Return of the Jedi that makes it stand out above all other Star Wars movies? Both Return of the Jedi and the Empire Strikes Back were fantastic movies, but the amazing and shocking ending of Return of the Jedi makes it my favorite. My favorite moment in Star Wars was the fight scene between Darth Vader and Luke in the final battle, and the surprise ending is unforgettable. Also, who could forget the Ewoks? These particular aspects of Return of the Jedi makes the movie my favorite, not only in the Star Wars saga, but overall.

Hate Twenty One Pilots?

     As I wrote about in a previous blog, I love Twenty One Pilots. If someone tells me they are terrible, they suck, and they would never listen to them, they would be missing out on something great. Everybody has their own taste in music and I know not everybody will like them, like I might not like someone else's favorite artist or band, and that's okay. Diversity is important and makes things interesting, but I think most people who hates Twenty One Pilots have never really given their music a chance.

     So when someone tells me they don't like Twenty One Pilots, I would ask them if they really gave it a chance. Often the first time, or even the first several times you hear a song, you don't particularly like it but the more you hear it the more you like it. So first, I would tell them to listen to several Twenty One Pilots songs, there may be something they like. I would also tell them about how the lyrics are so different than other artists. The songs Twenty One Pilots writes are often introspective, almost spiritual. In Lane Boy they talk about the journey of an artist and the pressure to stick with what you're suppose to do, conform. In Car Radio, they talk about the silence forcing them to think about things they don't want to think about.

     I would also tell them about the diverse types of songs Twenty One Pilots have. Some of their music is more Pop, such as Semi-Automatic. Other are more Rock, such as Holding On To You. There is plenty of Rap in their music as well. In fact most of their songs include Rap. I also like that all of their music is non-offensive; they don't write about drugs or violence. I also like that Twenty One Pilots change tempo, which makes the songs more interesting and unique. It makes it so I can listen to their songs over and over again without getting bored easily.

     The last thing I would tell anyone is they need to see Twenty One Pilots perform in concert. They are known for their shows. I saw them and it was amazing. I could hardly hear because the fans were singing every word of every song, but there was so much energy and it was so much fun. Seriously, anyone who thinks they don't like Twenty One Pilots really needs to give them more of a chance. They are so unique, genuine and energetic that their love for music comes through loud and clear.

Informing the People

     There are many things wrong with the media, but are there things that the media does right? The media always gets information out to the people, whether it is through Facebook or the news channel. Once something happens, a couple minutes later, everybody knows about it. You can bet if there is something you need to know, you will find out quickly. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that the information is important or true.

     So, is it better to have the media quickly send out information, even though it's not always good information? It's good to get information out quickly, even if the information does turn out to be wrong in the end. Sometimes the forecast changes, but it's better to be prepared. If there is potential danger, it's best to warn people. However, sometimes information that is sent out is not important at all; for example, nobody cares about the celebrity drama. It's good to get information out quickly unless it's just useless drama that no one wants to pay attention to.

Star Wars Review

     After a long wait and a lot of anticipation, I finally got to witness the new Star Wars movie (The Force Awakens). I've been so excited since I've been a fan since I was a little kid and always imagined seeing a Star Wars movie in theaters. I've read a lot about George Lucas's ideas about what should happen and I hoped to see them turned into a movie.

     As I sat in the theater watching the movie, I was completely engrossed in the movie. It was exciting and adventurous with just the right amount of humor and nostalgia. It was clear that everyone around me was enjoying it too; applauding when an old character shows up, laughing at the humorous lines, and silent during the action. It definitely lived up to the hype.

     As I left the theater, I was chattering about it. I was saying how much I enjoyed the movie overall. However, I complained that the final scene was way too long. They could have easily shortened it. My biggest complaint though was the fact that it didn't follow the books. I was anxious to see the story I read about come to life in a movie but it didn't happen. The story in the books made so much more sense. In the books, Luke's son was named Ben, after Ben Kenobi, but in the movie Han and Leia's kid was named Ben. It made more sense that Luke names his son Ben since he was the one who actually knew Ben Kenobi. Also, in my opinion, Han and Leia had 3 kids in the books which is better then them only having one who is evil.

     One of the earlier people to watch the movie complained that there was no creativity. They just took the earlier movies and used the same format. I get what he's saying but I think they were right to keep the same Star Wars format. The movie was suppose to pick up where Return of the Jedi left off, just years later, and they did that. I think if they would have taken more risks by changing things, it would have gotten away from what makes Star Wars great.

     Overall, it was a good movie. I think that if I hadn't fell in love with the books then I would have loved the movie even more. I'm glad they made a great sequel with a great story and effects. Hopefully the 8th movie will be just as good.

Old Movies vs. New Movies

     When I watch a movie from long ago, I am always struck by how bad the special effects, and sometimes the acting, was. The special effects were suppose to be amazing at the time, but compared to now, they are unimpressive. When I see a modern movie, the special effects are amazing. However, it seems too often that the movies with the great effects have sacrificed the story.

     The perfect example of this phenomenon is the Star Wars Saga. The first three that were released were loved by viewers all around the world. They were advanced for the time in both special effects and story. Looking back now, the special effects were not that good, but the story stands the test of time.

     The next three movies were released after a big delay. The difference between them and the original trilogy are obvious. By most accounts, the more recent movies had much better effects, but the story in each one was lacking compared to the first three. Even with the better visuals, most people prefer the better story.

     I think the reason for this change is that movie makers now are focusing too much on visual effects and sound effects, which are popular now. It's a shame because the movies today have the potential to be great. When they put a great story together with great special effects, they will have a hit. The problem is that the movie makers focus too much on effects. I think that the movie makers should first focus on the meaning behind the movie, and the overall story. After they got a good story, they should then add effects to emphasis the meaning.