Question 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irbFBgI0jhM

I choose to compare the video Alma with three different readings from this semester. I think that what this film implies and techniques used to prove a point can be related to many things we learned about in media and culture studies. Such as Grossbergs article on the different areas of the study of cultural studies and the political economy. When Grossberg talks about the studies of consumer driven decisions, it reminds me of the consumer driven decision in Alma. She goes into the store even when the owner or anyone else is not there. It was her decision to touch the doll and turn into an actual doll. These are the types of things cultural studies are about. I also think this film can be related to Shor's article on "Why Americans want more then they need," which is about why Americans feel the need to be the highest consumers. Media has set up an imagined community of big spending consumers that feel the need to be up on the newest clothing and products to impress others in that same social class. The film Alma is all about the new age of consumers and how they are driven to go out and spend money they might not even have. The film can also relate to Kahn and Kellners "The Oppositional Politics and the internet” about the use of the Internet. I believe one of the biggest reasons people go on a computer is to communicate with others but also to play their parts as consumers as well. Every website you go on, withers its a news site or Wikipedia search there are always pop up advertisements of discounts on products or trying to get you to go to their website to buy something. This is just a different approach to what happened in Alma, the same consumerism ways are there but just happening through the Internet. I think the use of the Internet is just making Americas consumerism that much worse.