You, the Viewer, Making Meaning!

In the reading, Viewers Make Meaning, Cartwright and Sturken discuss the important and determining role that viewers play in giving an image its effective meaning. They list three ways, other then the image and the producer, that an image is given meaning:

1. the codes and conventions that structure the image and that cannot be separated from the content of the image
2. the viewers and how they interpret or experience the image
3. the contexts in which an image is exhibited and viewed

All these things listed are produced by the viewer and the environment surrounding the image and the viewer of the image. 

Another concept discussed in the article that I found very interesting was the idea of interpellation. “To be interpellated by an image, then, is to know that the image is meant for me to understand, even if I feel that my understanding is unique or goes against the grain of a meaning that seems to have been intended.” When I read this advertising was a natural thought in my mind. 

Beer commercials are always stand outs for me. I know that they often aren’t marketed towards me because I am a woman, but some of them I find highly entertaining. Beer commercials interpellate me because I know what they are intending to do even if they are not targeting me, and to some degree the effectiveness (or cleverness) of a beer commercial does convince me to buy a brand. One beer commercial that I adore is by Heineken:

BEER CLOSET COMMERCIAL

ENJOY!!!

Advertise Here!

"Citizen Journalists"

Blogging and journalism are two things that we have discussed in length during class. We have also spent a lot of time discussing whether all bloggers are journalists. The conclusion we came to was “no.”  In Rettberg’s article, “Citizen Journalists”, he discusses the difference and similarities of the two, and when the distinction or lack there of, is important.

Rettberg points out the three ways that blogs approach journalism:

1. First-hand reports
2. Bloggers as independent journalists and opinionists
3. Gatewatching

Rettberg really strived to make the connection that mainstream media and independent blogs really rely on one another. This quote is one of my favorites from the reading, and sums up the chapter well. “Obviously, blogs are many different things. What appears to be clear, however, is the blogs need mainstream media, and that, today, the mainstream media also need blogs.”~ Rettberg

“Blogging Brands”

The combination of blogs and branding is one of the most interesting elements of blogging to me. For example, I enjoy a blog that we have talked about called Atlantic Pacific. With Atlantic Pacific, certain companies have sent her products to wear in her blog. She will then acknowledge that in her blog by putting “c/o” and then the brand name. For example: c/o J.Crew (because lets be real, if I was being sent clothes to feature on my blog, that is where I would want clothes from)!

Another way bloggers can make money blogging is when there blogs become visited enough and a popular enough blog, advertisers will pay to have their advertisements placed on their blogs. Thats right, now there is the chance that those annoying rollover advertisements could invade your favorite blog!