I was recently watching a press conference after a baseball game. The game was between the Phillies and the Giants, and was during the National League Championship Series, so the expected viewership was high. During the conference, Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies was talking. In front of him sat two Gatorade bottles and a Gatorade paper cup. All of the objects were facing forward in a way that clearly depicted the world-famous G across the TV screens all across the country.
This blatant form of advertising is just one example of the thousands of areas in which we see similar product placement and ad manipulation. In the movie the social network, products ranging from Jose Cuervo to Mountain Dew, Gap to Under Armour ran rampant, displayed clear enough to see, yet so hidden that nobody would actually remember seeing.
Media has the ability to advertise without letting on to the viewer that they are being played. I learned in my Media Analysis class that we, as consumers, are most susceptible to advertising when we are least paying attention to it.
I personally feel as if I have been hoodwinked. I am just starting to notice all of the placed ads in the media that I consume, and am realizing that it has been going on forever, and that I was never noticing it because I wasn't truly paying attention.
Being able to look objectively at what we are seeing a truly taking it all into account when viewing is vitally important. It is so easy for us to be manipulated by advertising when we are oblivious to it, but the instant we open our eyes, the better equipped we are to avoid being played. Rather than being a passive watcher or viewer, become more active in analyzing what we are seeing.
This extends beyond simply the world of advertising. In fact, advertising is a depiction of what is really going on around us. There are so many times that we go through life with our heads down, only seeing what we are looking for. Stopping at taking in everything around us will not only allow us to have a better understanding of what is happening, but also a better appreciation for it.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
My lasting legacy
This past weekend, I attended NFTY Northern's Fall Kallah. At the even, six of the best teen leaders Judaism has to offer led a program asking what we wanted our legacy to be. We discussed what the word meant and even some ways to attain one.
As much as I hate to say it, I won't be in NFTY forever. The end of the road is near for me. I will, at some point not too far away, have to leave the organization and move forward with my life. I will move on, as will NFTY. While this is happening, though, I am thinking of what I will leave to it? Will I be remembered for the hours I put into the organization? Will I even want to be?
My biggest legacy came, I believe, at Summmer kallah in August. At the event, after one of my services that I had written and led, I had two participants come up to me and say that they wanted to become RCVPs because I had inspired them. They wanted to follow in my footsteps and do what I had been doing for over a year.
Inspiration is the place where I want to leave my legacy. It is my job to help those leaders come up behind me and take my place when I can no longer lead myself. It is my duty to give my heart and soul to the members of my region to hopefully show them how much I care about them, about the movement, and about Judaism as a whole, in the hopes of creating an environment that will foster their growth to be the next leaders.
I also believe that it is my job to fix the problems that I see. We are, as it is commonly explained, a movement, and therefore are constantly looking to move our organization forward in a positive direction. We must continue to grow and develop ourselves so that we do not become stale. I want to make the changes that I see necessary to the motion of our movement so that it can be a stronger, healthier, more vibrant youth group for those to come. This is not making change just for the sake of making change. It is, rather, the ability to look at the way in which we conduct ourselves and improve the areas that we see need a little work. I want to be able to look back and say I did what was best for NFTY and helped it reach its best.
To those NFTY freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, I hope you see how much passion I have for our organization. I hope you see how much I want to do well for it, and for all of you. And I hope you see that I will need someone to be there for NFTY when I can't anymore. Let it be you.
To those NFTY seniors, it is our time to be the transitional leaders. We need to lead, and let others do so. We need to stand up and be in front, yet also have the ability to train our successor. And we need to continue to put everything we have into the youth group we have always loved.
As much as I hate to say it, I won't be in NFTY forever. The end of the road is near for me. I will, at some point not too far away, have to leave the organization and move forward with my life. I will move on, as will NFTY. While this is happening, though, I am thinking of what I will leave to it? Will I be remembered for the hours I put into the organization? Will I even want to be?
My biggest legacy came, I believe, at Summmer kallah in August. At the event, after one of my services that I had written and led, I had two participants come up to me and say that they wanted to become RCVPs because I had inspired them. They wanted to follow in my footsteps and do what I had been doing for over a year.
Inspiration is the place where I want to leave my legacy. It is my job to help those leaders come up behind me and take my place when I can no longer lead myself. It is my duty to give my heart and soul to the members of my region to hopefully show them how much I care about them, about the movement, and about Judaism as a whole, in the hopes of creating an environment that will foster their growth to be the next leaders.
I also believe that it is my job to fix the problems that I see. We are, as it is commonly explained, a movement, and therefore are constantly looking to move our organization forward in a positive direction. We must continue to grow and develop ourselves so that we do not become stale. I want to make the changes that I see necessary to the motion of our movement so that it can be a stronger, healthier, more vibrant youth group for those to come. This is not making change just for the sake of making change. It is, rather, the ability to look at the way in which we conduct ourselves and improve the areas that we see need a little work. I want to be able to look back and say I did what was best for NFTY and helped it reach its best.
To those NFTY freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, I hope you see how much passion I have for our organization. I hope you see how much I want to do well for it, and for all of you. And I hope you see that I will need someone to be there for NFTY when I can't anymore. Let it be you.
To those NFTY seniors, it is our time to be the transitional leaders. We need to lead, and let others do so. We need to stand up and be in front, yet also have the ability to train our successor. And we need to continue to put everything we have into the youth group we have always loved.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Remove the Stumbling block
You just won the division and are headed to the playoffs for the first time in your career. What are you going to do now?
For most players the answer would be to go into the clubhouse and celebrate with your friends. Champagne will be flowing and the festivities will continue for the remainder of the night.
This was not the case for Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. After his team clinched a playoff berth, something that is owed to the masterful performance of Hamilton, he chose to skip the post-game elation and instead go with members of the opposing team to discuss his faith with the Oakland fans, a discussion that Hamilton had committed to ahead of time.
Hamilton is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. After years of addiction and abuse to himself, he finally got clean through religion, throwing himself completely into his own personal faith.
When the idea of celebratory alcohol came up, Hamilton chose to avoid temptation and instead share his faith, the thing that had allowed him to get past that part of his life.
It would have been easy to go to the clubhouse. It would have been easy to grab a bottle and cover his teammates. It would have been easy to be doused in champagne by others. But, most importantly, it would have been easy to relapse and get deep into trouble that he had worked so hard to get himself away from.
Having the courage to admit that something that you want to do may bring about a problem is admirable. Having the ability to avoid situations that will cause events that may harm you takes an incredible amount of maturity and self-respect.
Hamilton's ability to use spirituality and faith to keep his life on track makes him one of my biggest heroes. I have so much respect and admiration for the experiences that he has endured, and the ability for him to take responsibility for his actions and learn from them makes him the type of individual who is a good role model for not only baseball fans, but all people.
For most players the answer would be to go into the clubhouse and celebrate with your friends. Champagne will be flowing and the festivities will continue for the remainder of the night.
This was not the case for Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. After his team clinched a playoff berth, something that is owed to the masterful performance of Hamilton, he chose to skip the post-game elation and instead go with members of the opposing team to discuss his faith with the Oakland fans, a discussion that Hamilton had committed to ahead of time.
Hamilton is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. After years of addiction and abuse to himself, he finally got clean through religion, throwing himself completely into his own personal faith.
When the idea of celebratory alcohol came up, Hamilton chose to avoid temptation and instead share his faith, the thing that had allowed him to get past that part of his life.
It would have been easy to go to the clubhouse. It would have been easy to grab a bottle and cover his teammates. It would have been easy to be doused in champagne by others. But, most importantly, it would have been easy to relapse and get deep into trouble that he had worked so hard to get himself away from.
Having the courage to admit that something that you want to do may bring about a problem is admirable. Having the ability to avoid situations that will cause events that may harm you takes an incredible amount of maturity and self-respect.
Hamilton's ability to use spirituality and faith to keep his life on track makes him one of my biggest heroes. I have so much respect and admiration for the experiences that he has endured, and the ability for him to take responsibility for his actions and learn from them makes him the type of individual who is a good role model for not only baseball fans, but all people.
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