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Advertisements are done with the intention to boost the sales of a certain product/brand. But are their creativity crossing the fine line of ethics?



Banned X-BOX360 advertisement


Let us imagine if this advertisement is being shown in Singapore. Do you think this advertisement should be banned? Let us apply some of the media theories that we learned in Unit4.

Cultivation theory is definitely in use here. Teenagers will be the first ones to be affected if it is shown on television frequently. Being young and easily influenced by media, teenagers will create a false reality on how reality is like a game. Gamers themselves will be even more enticed by gaming and social influence might play a part in the long run. Media determinism will also be valid since television has impacted us one way or another, merely through the information that it provides.

Agenda setting theory and media hegemony will be in place too. Why? Governments are likely to ban this commercial because it depicts violence and gaming. Imitation of such acts of violence in real life can be one of the key reasons, which might result in an increased number of crimes. Furthermore, being a country whereby education is the top priority in order to survive here, I am sure the government will not risk having students being obsessed with gaming. That is probably the reason why we do not see much gaming consoles' commercials on television in Singapore.

Theories aside, you can appreciate how innovative this commercial is. Despite all its negative aspects, I believe this commercial can be an effective tool in increasing the sales of X-BOX360 consoles. What do you think?

Singapore culture

What exactly is the Singapore culture? Many would say that we have a collectivist culture, intertwined with the mixture of Western and Eastern culture. As the majority of the population in Singapore are Chinese, we tend to be more traditional. However, the influx of Western influence is changing Singapore gradually into a Neo-Western society.


Evidence of Westernization in Singapore

Look all around you. McDonald's, Adidas, Starbucks, etc. All these shops are evidence of Westernization in Singapore. Those former generations' traditions are diminishing and the Singaporeans are adopting a more Westernized lifestyle. Inevitably, family values will change too. Teenagers are not as close to their family as previous generations used to be. The over-reliance of technology have distanced everyone. Life has become easier yet complex. We live with ease, but have the problem of communicating to a large social network. Furthermore, Singaporeans are becoming more selfish and are always in a rush. In other words, we are becoming more individualistic.

So, are we advancing for the better? Is it about competition between or cohesion of interpersonal bonds and ease of life?

Anime

Anime is an alternative form of media that many turn to when they want to fulfill or visualize their fantasy. It is increasingly popular due to the fact that it depicts scenes or technologies that cannot be seen or experienced in real life.

I watched an anime called Gundam 00 a few months back and man, i was equally enticed like any other Gundam series like Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. The series is set in a futuristic Earth and centered around Celestial Being, a private paramilitary force and their efforts to rid the world of war and conflict with a series of unique and highly effective mobile suits known as "Gundams". It is these "Gundams", which is the main focus of this anime, that attracted many teenagers to follow this series. The anime is action-packed, with a variety of emotional scenes inserted in between to develop the plot based on friendship, love and hatred.



In animes like this, our perception are constantly being changed. For example, a shabbily dressed person might be a terrorist or people have different capabilities regardless of age. We can also see that using non-verbal cues, emotions are being shown and it is complemented with different genres of music. This creates a holistic experience of how the character is feeling.

Interpersonal relationships are also shown in animes. How lovers come together, how friendships are being fostered and how these relationships are being maintained. Usually, all these animes have happy endings. This makes the audience feel satisfied and in turn appreciate the anime. But why is it necessary? That's because some animes have hidden messages for the audience to interpret and accept it. For example, i believe that in Gundam series, it shows the various tragedies that derived from war. In other words, war causes suffering and we should not promote it.

So, the next time you watch an anime, watch out for the cues that the characters show and attempt to retrieve the hidden meaning behind it. :)