COMM 322 - Social Media Responsibility - Alex Sprague, Michael Estridge, Zackery Kiley, Michael Martinez, Jamison Turner, Zach Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=566xgHSgbms&feature=youtu.be

Richie Incognito and Sports Culture BEYOND the Field

As a huge sports fan, I found the documentary that we watched in class to be entertaining as well as extremely informative. I've always viewed sports as more of a way of life than an actual game. There is so much more to sports than the competition on the field, court, diamond, etc. Because professional athletes are part of such an elite group, their career is treated as just that: a career, not just a game to play. Athletes of all skill levels are put under the microscope the day they strap on the pads and the jersey; their behavior as well as every move they make are closely monitored, even when they're not on the clock. One prime example in the spotlight right now is the case involving former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito.

Earlier this month, Incognito was thrust into the national forefront after a series of reports described highly graphic harassment against fellow Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin. According to reports, Incognito had threatened Martin in the months leading up to Martin's departure from the team for "emotional" reasons. It was later reported that Incognito made demeaning and derogatory remarks toward Martin, who is biracial, and his family. This all stemmed from Richie's efforts to fulfill a request made to him by the Dolphins' strength and conditioning staff, and that was to "toughen up" Martin, who had allegedly been playing soft and not to the rugged NFL standards. All of this ultimately led to Incognito's dismissal from the team. Martin also plans to sit out the rest of the season

So, how does this tie back to sports as popular culture and my point about it being bigger than what we see on the field and on TV? There is so much that goes on behind closed doors, when the national spotlight isn't focused on the actual competition. Because every aspect of an athlete's life is micromanaged, it's almost impossible to say that it's "just a game." Richie Incognito's actions caused a 6'4'' 300-pound professional offensive lineman to leave a team because he was being so severely bullied, hazed and harassed. This is why sports reach SO far beyond the playing field. Athletes are treated as royalty and celebrities. If they screw up, it becomes something that garners lots of negative national attention, such as the Incognito-Martin incident in Miami.

Media Framing: Naming Events Related to Tragedy

When we were discussing Matthew Shepard in class the other day, something in particular really jumped out at me. In the part of the lecture presentation that said "Naming the Event," I immediately thought of the CBS show Criminal Minds. This struck me because in the show, the Behavioral Analysis Unit stresses the importance of not naming events or serial killers in their case. I know this is somewhat unrelated to the Matthew Shepard case, but the connection is still relevant I believe.

Because both scenarios involve some sort of tragedy, the media will want to swarm and do whatever they can to get coverage. In the Criminal Minds scenario (several episodes come to mind, but I'll use an example from the top of my head: "The I-90 Killer"). I do not remember the particular events of this episode, but I do recall that the unidentified subject (unsub) would dump bodies of victims off the side of Interstate 90. The team was unhappy when they found out the local media started calling the guy the "I-90 Killer" because it amplified the killer and boosted his ego, which doesn't help him stop killing. In a similar way, Matthew Shepard was the focus of his tragedy. The fact that he was gay is what the media highlighted and amplified.

In my eyes, the focus of the tragedy should be the evil of the act, the acceptance that there was inherent wrong, and gay or straight shouldn't matter. If Matthew Shepard had been straight, the actual evil of the event doesn't change. It's still wrong no matter what. Same thing goes with naming serial killers. It doesn't help, it only adds hurt.

Superhero Culture • Playing the Cards You're Dealt

Like most middle school guys, I hit the phase of idolizing the superheroes and masked men in colorful spandex. The phase originally started with the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers in 1993, and evolved into the Marvel comic book heroes a decade later. The very first comic book movie I ever saw was Spider-Man (2002) with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Thus began my fascination with having an awesome super-ability and hidden identity that no one can ever know.

I began to write my own comic adventures and insert myself into plots of these types of movies. I guess my superhero phase was rooted in the inherent idea of “good conquers all.” I was never really drawn to the violence aspect of it. After discussing it class, I realize I was also drawn to the “social outcast/living with a curse” aspect of being a hero. Examples: Peter Parker is the stereotypical nerd in high school. He gets bitten by a radioactive spider and is instantly transformed into a web-slinging badass. He was a role model to me, because I hadn’t peaked in the social pecking order at that point (thank GOD). I identified with Peter/Spider-Man in fifth and sixth grade, and my superhero obsession expanded into the Marvel franchise.

After reading and class discussions, I’ve kind of developed my own idea of superhero culture as a teaching tool. I believe that a theme of this particular cultural area is making the best of your situation and playing the hand you’re dealt. Whether it’s getting grenade shrapnel lodged in your chest (Iron Man), experiencing a cosmic radiation storm in space (Fantastic Four) or being a part of a wildly expensive government experiment (Captain America or Wolverine), all of these heroes struggle to make the best of their circumstances. It’s cool to see this because it humanizes them tremendously. It’s not all butt-kicking and getting the girl. To me, the superhero culture should be viewed as one with a focus on good beating evil and making the best of your situation.

Terrors in Tiaras

Alright, the clip from "Toddlers in Tiaras" that we watched in class really got me thinking. This was the most I had ever seen of the show for obvious reasons, mainly because I respect myself as a human being (sorry not sorry to those who enjoy the show). It just baffled me that one child could be so demanding and destructive. That tiny human known as Mackenzie had her mother completely on lock. The parent was at the complete mercy of a three-foot four-year-old clad in an evil robe of pink. so it got me thinking: What makes this kind of television popular?

The first thing I thought of was the phrase "It's like a trainwreck; I can't look away." We don't want to admit we're intrigued by this kind of garbage. However, it's got something to do with the extreme nature of the programming. Is it embellished? Absolutely. Staged? Probably. The success lies with the fact that only a small percentage of the population is exposed to these toddler beauty pageants first-hand. The rest of us have only one impression, and that's what we see on television.

This ties into the princess as narcissists mentality. In our notes, there's a bullet point that mentions the idea of overspending and an inflated sense of entitlement. Mackenzie definitely exhibited that. I'd also like to point out that there was no sight or mention of a husband or boyfriend in the picture (my guess is he spends a lot of time outside the house, presumably at his local tavern or pub... at least that's what I'd be doing). The lack of a second parent further enables the kid to be a "Terror in Tiara" as I like to call it. 

Grand Theft Auto: An Outsider's Perspective.

Alright. So two weeks ago, the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V was released. It was the first title in the series to be released since 2008, so the hype surrounding this game was monumental. Now I don't know specifics of the game, but I know that the general idea is running around an open world based on the greater Los Angeles area and basically wreaking havoc by way of melee attacks, weaponry and automobile theft.

So here’s my question: HOW DID A GAME LIKE GTA5 GENERATE $800 MILLION IN REVENUE IN 24 HOURS?

I know violent games with mature themes tend to sell well due to sensationalism and sensual nature, because that kinda stuff is what people want. However, I don’t understand how upstanding fraternity gentlemen spend hours on end playing a game that allows the player to freely roam about, kill civilians, steal cars and engage in illicit behaviors like sex and drug trafficking.

This might tie in to the cool factor we’ve discussed in class. The only real desire is the desire to be cool. I’m not saying that the themes in GTA5 are considered cool, but when so much focus is centered on behavior that the normal gamer would never engage in is when it becomes more desirable. In no way am I saying that people who play this game will be driven to do these things. I’m saying that I don’t understand why the appeal is so strong. My friends who play the game are some of the nicest, most kindhearted people I know.

This being said, I think it’s fine that people who understand the themes won’t be too heavily affected by the game’s adult content. However, there’s a reason these things are given ratings. Under no circumstance should a child under the age of 17 be allowed to play this game. Ever. I sat and watched for about 5 minutes and about 100 expletives were dropped in that timeframe.  

Ba