kinda embarrassing

 

This video makes me feel embarrassed for PC. I think that they thought by retaliating to the incredible Apple ads that make PCs look horrible, they could respond and reverse the effect and overall image that the Apple ads created for PC. However, this ad about the guy who actually works for PC just makes me like Apple more... this guy is a huge dork! He is awkward and rambles about nothing that would convince me to buy a PC over a Mac.  

real subtle

This ad was banned.. I wonder why. I find it a little crude, not funny at all and of very low quality. Maybe it is because I knew it was banned before watching it, but I felt like this ad was painfully obvious and cliche of all terrible condom commercials. Even though the Trojan advertisements are racy and sexual, at least they grab your attention for their brand in a different way and are done somewhat artfully. In my opinion, the people who attempted this ad should have known better from the beginning that it would be banned.

Intertextuality in advertising

The advertisements from the 42nd Super Bowl are loaded with pop culture intertextual connections. One in particular that I thought exudes this is this ad for Budweiser beer. The old cultural text that this ad is referencing is the movie, Rocky. It takes the theme and idea of motivation from the movie, however, in the ad it a horse being motivated by a dog instead of a boxer and his coach. I think the reference is very cute. Budweiser did a series of these commercials, using the horse to portray that Budweiser is the best beer. In all the Budweiser horse commercials, the horses are drawn to want to pull the Budweiser beer carriage and work very hard to do so. This Super Bowl commercial adds to the horizontal intertextuality of the Budweiser ads.  In seeing one Bud and horse ad, the viewer will think of another. 

Talent!

 This woman, Amy Walker, is an amazing actress. Maybe it is just because I can only do one accent when I think I am doing a different one every-time, but I think she is so great! All of these voices sound real... This, along with singing, is a talent a really wish I had!  

Fashion and Recession

This video shows fashion designer, Alexander fall 2008 fashion show. The premise behind the show is to incorporate the chaos of the world right now, with the economy, recession, technology, etc. into fashion statements. It is so interesting to me to be able to connect two seemingly opposite ideas, especially because McQueen's e high fashion is usually connected with the people with who have endless funds. However, with the economy right now and the stock market the way it is, not as many people have those disposable incomes like they used to, which is whey I think this idea is even more powerful. 

Fashion is like the art of living expression. Alexander McQueen executes brilliance by connecting fashion with reality because that is what fashion essentially is when you think about it, it is art that you live in. His fashion show demonstrates another aspect and way to look at the things around us. 

A role model

One of my role models is fashion designer, Tory Burch. Tory Burch 

has risen to uber success and it has only taken her a couple of years to do

so. Her first store opened in New York in 2004, and she has been rising 

to the top ever since. I admire her for her business approach as well as her

incredible line of fashion. I would describe her style as classic chic. She

does a lot of 60's and 70's inspired prints, however, all of them look chic

and fashionable, not throw back. By far, she is most famous for her 

signature ballet flat, the Reva. I love that she named the shoe after her

mother, Reva. Burch was never formally trained in fashion design and

almost all of her designs come from inspirations that hold a place in her 

heart. For instance, the Reva flat, inspired by her mother, as well as many

of her other designs which are inspired by her father. 

I personally think Burch is an amazing woman. She is this business 

tycoon, who has the guts to put her own name on her brand as well as a 

mother to her 3 sons and 3 step-daughters. Burch is always in the spotlight

and is looked like as a public icon as well as a fashion designer. Her success

is a true inspiration.

Sorority Life

As I was sitting in Chapter last monday, I thought to myself, why do we (Greeks) do this stuff? Who thought of it? I love my sorority and am truly proud of being a part of my house. I just sometimes wonder who initially thought of all the things that we do... For instance, RECRUITMENT. Sometimes when I go out at night I feel like I am so eager to meet freshman girls who I want to be a part of my house after recruitment, that I do not even pay attention to my friends. My friends and I sometimes refer to the recruitment process as flirting with girls. Because, when you go out you want to talk to as many younger girls as possible, you want them to like you and if all goes well hopefully you can get their digits and ask them to lunch! It sounds really funny and ridiculous but all Sorority Women do it in order to get girls they like in their new pledge class. Guys do it to! Since  SMU Greek life is so popular it seems that first semester all Greek Men are doing is buying younger boys drinks, cab rides, and trying to show them a good time, while Greek Women are also trying to win over the younger girls. Sometimes it seems a little bizarre to me to think about, especially when I think back to when I was a Freshman and I would get so excited when an older girl in a sorority would come to talk to me. The process of formal recruitment for sororities also makes me think sometimes, whose idea was it to sing for other girls to entice them to join your organization??? The whole door chant thing (the way a sorority greet the potential new members during formal recruitment) is just a little creepy and intimidating. Then there are the different days of rush... maybe I am being cynical but I have always thought that skit day is a particular strange part of recruitment. In normal life, I do not make people or watch people perform skits before I decide if I want to be like them and join their group. Bottom line, the Sorority World is not the real world... from an outsider's view, they probably think we are all HUGE weirdos who do weird stuff. While I will admit that I too find what we do a little weird sometimes, it works, and it is something you would have to be a part of to understand.