Zev's Media Blog

        Recently, a video surfaced from a home surveillance camera catching an Amazon delivery woman, who was hired for the rush of the holiday season, going to the bathroom on the curb of a street. (I suggest reading the article that goes along with he video too, it's crazy how worked up people get over such small things). The video gained some popularity, and she was fired. This made me even more concerned than I already was for our lack of privacy in today's world.         The woman, probably overworked and sleep deprived, was doing what she needed to do in order to carry on with her job. Was there anything wrong with the appalled homeowner posting the video? Sure, what the Amazon worker did was wrong, but considering the circumstances, was it right to post a video like that? Especially knowing that these sort of things get people fired? I have began to wonder if more people use security cameras for catching "funny" moments on video than act...

        Besides being a great movie, Spectre is a gem when it comes to finding a movie littered with product placement. James Bond films always have been and always will be a classic when it comes to Madison and Vine techniques. The most popular being Aston Martin, many brands and businesses use these movies as advertisements for their products. In Spectre alone, the list of brands advertised in the movie is unbelievable. Spectre advertised: the Aston Martin DB10; the Omega Seamaster 300; Tom Ford clothing (including sungalsses); Range Rover vehicles; Vuarnet sunglasses; Belvedere vodka; Sony; and the Fiat 500.         This brings us to a big question-is product placement always wrong to use in movies? Does it really detract from films? In many cases, yes, it can be wrong to sloppily use product placement left and right in a film. It can cause distraction and contribute to the overall clutter in movies--not to mention the see...

        Social media is a place many go to escape their hectic lives. On social media, we can view what's going on in our friends', our relatives', and famous celebrities' lives. Lots of people assume that the curated content they're looking at on someone's profile completely embodies what their life is like. This is anything but true.         If I were to choose any one of my classmates' Instagram pages, I would most likely see pictures of them with friends, being somewhere that's cool, or doing/posting about a hobby of theirs. While looking at these photos, one would assume that their posts fully and honestly reflect how their life is. In reality, I know that most of my classmates spend the majority of their "free time" doing homework or studying when they're not in school. Everybody is guilty of shaping their lives to look a particular way on social media. An even more extreme version of this woul...

                 While reading about the newly proposed tax plan, you can get different vibes from the exact same story. Different news outlets use language to present their story view of the news. By way of example, I reviewed stories by  Huffington Post and Fox News  about the Republican (GOP) tax bill.        The Huffington Post's audience is primarily progressive (leaning to the left of the political spectrum). Therefore, when presenting the new tax plan, they will use language to appeal to liberals. Right off the bat, in their title, "Here Are 6 Of The Most Radical Provisions In The GOP Tax Bill," I noticed the way that they used phrasing. Through the use of the term "radical provisions", connotations pop up into my head and create an image of concern. A more neutral title would have been "Here Are 6 Of The Provisions In The GOP Tax Legislation," however "radical" has a built up negative connotation, att...

        There are countless numbers of "influencers" on fashion: rappers, social media accounts, and even designers themselves. These are the people who set the current trends in fashion. In the RAF music video, by A$AP Mob (a Harlem-based rap group started by A$AP Yams, A$AP Bari, and A$AP Illz, who later recruited A$AP Rocky, their most notable member as of today), the group raps about a number of things (mostly focusing on popular designers and brands), however, the title comes from the designer Raf Simons. Raf has been making clothes since the 90s and has worked with other brands and designers such as Jil Sander, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein.         A$AP Rocky has a reputation of being a trendsetter, especially in fashion. He is notably the biggest fashion "influencer" in the game, and has been for a long time (since he wore supreme towels under his hat). With the release of RAF, the brand has been more popular than ever. I...