covered in gold.

When it comes to Roman Polanksi fighting against the media for invasion of privacy some may say that the media is performing its “watch-dog” function, while others say Polanksi has a right to privacy.

The Polish-French Oscar-winning director of movies such as Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby had been under house arrest for statutory rape in the United States which he committed in 1977.

Upon being apprehended in the 70s for his crime he fled to France where he was not able to be contained by the U.S. Government. More than thirty years later, he was arrested by the Swiss Government and put under house arrest.

While he was serving his sentence, it was found that photos of himself and his family in their home were released to the public. Roman Polanski then preceded to sue the French Media for invasion of privacy.

Polanski Sues French Media

Although the French Media may have felt that they were monitoring a predator did the ends justify the means? I’m not sure they did. Regardless of the crime committed, it doesn’t make the paparazzi’s action excusable. The media would not be able to take photographs during a sentence at a prison facility so it should not have been okay to do that same at Polanski’s place of residents.

Polanski’s invasion of privacy suit names two French newspapers and two French magazines that ran photos of him and his family.

Not only did it cross the line of invading his privacy, but also crossed the line of the privacy of his family. Because both of his children are minors, they are protected under French media law. Polanski’s lawyer Marion Gregoire stated “The legal case against Polanski in no way justifies the paparazzi’s stalking of his wife and children.”

Polanski requested 150,000 Euros or $217,215 in damages. After the French court deliberated she decided to grant Polanski 16,000 Euros in privacy damages. It was stated that the pictures taken were part of a “media show” that had come at a “difficult time in the personal life of those concerned”. She continued to state that the photos were “neither necessary nor useful for legitimate public understanding”.

Media Law Journal: Invasion of Privacy

Many times I’ve heard older people and sometimes even my peers say they wish they could go back to when they were younger. In the movie17 Again Michael O’Donnell gets that opportunity. Mike is at the lowest point of his life.

He’s two weeks away from finalizing his divorce from his high school sweetheart and his nearly grown son and daughter want nothing to do with him. Not to mention, he’s also just been fired from his job of 16 years. Then something miraculous happens. He encounters a mysterious janitor at the high school where he experienced his “glory days” of basketball and wishes to do it all over again.

Mike, played by Matthew Perry is transformed into the attractive and young Zac Efron; his younger self. With the help of his rich best friend Ned, Mike gets the high school experience every teen dreams of. The best clothes, and the fastest car. Throughout the movie you find this journey of his is about a lot more than reliving his glory days.

Products disbursed throughout the movie included Xbox 360, Apple, Coca-Cola, Nutella and Audi just to name a few. If I wasn’t watching the movie specifically looking for these products I don’t think I would have consciously noticed that it was a form of advertising; they appeared in very natural situations. Whether Mike was driving down the street or making a sandwich.

Seeing as one of the central points of the film is basketball, Spalding had the opportunity to show their product frequently throughout the film. It may have been during flashbacks of when Mike was in high school playing, or when he and his unsuspecting son played as teammates in the present.

It may be pure coincidence that the basketballs are angled perfectly to see the brand every time they’re in the actors’ hands, but I doubt it. Another product that was placed particularly well throughout the movie were JanSport backpacks. Almost every student walking down the halls of Hayden High had the same brand bag.

These products were most likely chosen to be placed strategically in this movie because of the content. It’s a coming of age story with the setting in a public high school during basketball season. With hundreds of students walking through the hallways almost every other scene it would make it easy to place there brand throughout the movie. I feel that the product placement was very subliminal and effective.

“I want much more than this provincial life!” As I young child I had a dream to be a young French maiden torn between the dashing Gaston, and the Horrible Beast. I wanted to be torn away from that “provincial” life before I even knew what the word meant.

Whether you’re young or old, male or female, almost everyone in our culture has a favorite Disney movie. My favorite may have changed over the years, with the deciding factors being what princess I wanted to be at the time, and who was the cutest prince. And yes, even Nala and Simba were apart of that predicament.

It wasn’t until I was older that I realized the common themes in the these Disney classics. Although the production of these films cause an extensive amount of synergy at the expense of the consumers, namely children.

I can’t say that it is upsetting or even a negative influencer. I had the “lifesize Ariel doll”, and chose to Belle for Halloween, not because I was brainwashed into doing so, but because I genuinely loved the character, and wanted her as my friend.

And yes, I had not only all the VHS’ of the Classics, but also some “Sing-Along” videos as well. I feel that although Disney influences many, that it is not a negative influence.

Many would say that perhaps it is bad because of the gender roles it expresses, but what good fairy tale doesn’t?

I must admit, even now when I see a commercial that a Classic is being “taken out of the vault”, I feel compelled to run to Wal-Mart and make that purchase.

Disney’s Influence on Girls

I’m somewhat of a comic buff, so let’s say real life was like DC Universe; multiple realities with multiple Earths set apart by minute differences, and in other case huge ones.

EARTH PRIME :
As I’m browsing through my hands free computer device I see a car approaching through my rear view mirror. The driver isn’t paying attention and his vehicle is inches from hitting the back of my car. Before he even realizes the danger he put us both in, his hovering car stops before any collision.

Fifteen years ago that would have been a problem, and I would have had to deal with my daughter Lana’s mouth about being late to her rehearsal dinner; but because of new technology all car accidents are 100% preventable.

EARTH TWO:

I haven’t read a book in years. With the development of electronic devices and how the demand evolved, the producers of these devices targeted the development of regular binding and paper. Not only did they fight the production, but they systematically destroyed all books that remained.

No one goes outdoors anymore. Why should they have to ? All necessities can be found in the confines of their homes. If you can even call them homes anymore. No one cleans. No one works. The majority of the population is connected to their Echairs.

The device was supposed to make life easier, but instead it has made life, nothing. I mostly feel bad for the newer generations; the individuals who don’t know any other life but the one that Media has made for them.

Our planets infrastructure has graffiti media all over it. When CNN realized they could put ads up on the moon, that permanently tattooed her showing side.

In 25 years I think that the effect mass media has on our society will increase exponentially. After all it has in the past, but I think that it crept up on us. Future generations;which is what my generations is to the time that mass media emerged, will see it was second nature. So yes, mass media will evolve into something much greater, but us as a society will evolve with it.

Article: Mass Media Influence on Society

I woke up with a start to Bach’s Fugue in D Minor blasting from my Blackberry, and I realized I had already broken the pact I’d made with myself at 11:53 the night before. “Absolutely NO channels of mass media tomorrow” I told myself sternly. The statement however sounded more like a confused question.

All I’d have to do was open up my phone and a few minutes of browsing later I would have been exposed to half a dozen forms of media; having my phone this close was too much of a risk. Too bad its my alarm clock.

I sat up in bed and without any effort came across involuntary media. My roommate has a promotional poster of “Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” right above her bed. I’d been up for about 3 minutes and  so far could not escape; this was going to be a long two days.

I would have left my phone in my apartment when I left for class this morning, but it is my only means of communication with my family, so I decided I’d call my Mom and let her know not to call, that I would instead.

It was the strangest thing from that point throughout the next few hours of the day. I have become way to dependent on my cellphone. I felt as if I was going through withdrawals. I felt my phone vibrating although I knew it was off, it had to be .. Right? Well it was supposed to be.

As the day went on I realized how much involuntary media I was encountering, and how much voluntary media I was lacking. When I lived in Japan, the only television we had was what is called AFN (Armed Forces Network) and there was no commercials. Advertisement free TV because the government didn’t allow it. Those two days felt a lot like those nine years I spent overseas.

The two days made me realize how much I depend on my Blackberry, iPod, and TV. I did however finally finish the book that I “didn’t have time to read.” The funny thing is; I could have finished it weeks ago. Being subjected to all the technology makes me think that I’m a lot busier than I really am.