Week 11 Responses

1. As Toxic Sludge Is Good For You says, real democracy must be the common work and invention of all of us acting together. However, this statement and democracy don't account for how small grassroots organizations and citizens pose a greater threat to PR industries than environmental protection agencies do. The PR industry is constantly working to keep the public in the dark as long as we continue consuming blindly. A true democratic society is governed by the people, for the people. I wouldn't necessarily say that we are governing ourselves anymore if all we are doing is listening to what the PR industries tell us to do. It's good that democracy can sometimes be hard to predict, because this throws the PR industry off balance. Thinking back to Feed, a corporation won't be able to classify you as the average consumer because your actually using your mind and not letting other people's examples influence you. It's sad that money=power in our current political system, because corporations can now control policies that are in their favor, continuously sweeping democracy under the rug. I feel as if we no longer make our own decisions, and even though I haven't had much experience with politics, I've never felt further out of the loop with my own government. If the only way to hear about political news is through PR influenced TV, internet, and radio, I don't have high hopes for democracy.

2. I spent closer to an hour down by the waterfront today, and I just have to reiterate that I love being outdoors. I am lucky enough to live in a rural part of New Jersey, so while outside when I'm at home, I don't have to listen to the drone of highway noise or loud neighbors. Being next to the water gave me this same sense of satisfaction because the cool breeze and splashing waves drowned out any noise from cars and other people. I was able to clear my mind for the first time in a while, and the warm sun mixed with the breeze made for a very calming sensation. Some find the calls of seagulls to be annoying, but I didn't mind them one bit as I sat there. I admit that I should have left my cell phone at home because I found myself answering texts from time to time, but it was otherwise a very refreshing media free experience.
My half an hour of media was spent watching Hulu on my computer since I don't have a TV in my room. The show I decided on is called Modern Family, one of the only shows on TV I find remotely funny, and the first commercial that comes up is the World's First Reality Hair Star. What is the world coming to? Women in the ad describe their hair as "the most important part of their body and their daily routine". I laugh out loud because I find this more funny than anything that happened on the show so far. As the show continues, besides the occasional funny lines, I find myself growing restless, and I realize I haven't blinked in minutes. I also realize that not once do they show a scene outdoors or people doing anything active. I don't necessarily feel as if I've wasted a half an hour of my life, but I definitely would have rather spent it outside doing something fun.