Celebrity Statue: Athlete- John Manser

Celebrity Status: Athlete

            The modern day athlete has more than just the game to worry about today. They are also celebrities and more importantly role models for society. They don't just make money through playing the game anymore. They now have endorsements to help them make money. The publicity that they get from working with charities also helps a bit too.

            They also expand their fame by working with these charity groups, through social media, and talk show appearances and of course self promotion. These things can greatly increase their fame. It can also help them look better to the public and give them a more approachable look to everyone.

            This approach is and has affected and influenced the next generation of athletes. A lot of us are athletes because we have good and bad role models in the world of professional sports. We look up to these athletes and try to emulate what they do so that hopefully we can have the kind of success that they have had. If they work well with the public and are only in the news for good reasons it gives us a better view of them as role models. If they are in the limelight for the wrong reasons it gives a bad view as to who they are.

            Scandals in the world of sports today affect the status that the athletes have by giving them a bad reputation and bad public image. They start to look like they are a burden to the teams they are a part of and the sports world. They're actions are always going to be magnified and scrutinized by everyone in the media in this day and age.

            The celebrity aspect of their lives can interfere with the game for sure. The commentators will bring up the athlete's personal life in the middle of the game for no reason sometimes. It shows that they are under the microscope. Their lives are definitely being intruded on and they have very little privacy in today's world.

Youtube and the Music Industry- John Manser

Youtube and the Music Industry

            Now a days you can't get on the internet without hearing about a possible superstar in the making on youtube. However bands are now using the internet, especially youtube, to promote themselves and gain hype for upcoming releases of singles or full albums. This could include webisodes to help give their fans an idea about the new album or just give a behind the scenes look into their tours.

            The musicians that are really taking advantage of this system are usually bands that are with label companies from what I have seen. This helps them promote themselves without the record company being in complete control of what they do. This also helps how people are hearing about them. Whether it comes from word of mouth, social media, blogs, and of course youtube they are being promoted and spread for everyone to hear.

            This youtube phenomena that is occurring has led to an increase in their sales. For a certain amount of views that a music video gets the record company and artist get to profit from it. At the rate that this is going it is going to benefit the music industry, but it could also be its downfall. It opens the record companies and labels open to new upcoming artists, but it also makes it easier for the music to be pirated and stolen from the bands and label.

            The fact that bands are now releasing their albums online has made getting up and going to the store to purchase the album null and void. Digital Downloads have become more of a trend for bands to use. They are pricing their albums cheaper on their websites than they are being sold for in the stores.

Hannity vs. Cooper - John Manser

Hannity vs. Cooper

            Try sitting down and watching Anderson Cooper 360 followed up by Hannity. For me it was an experience to say the least. Both of these individuals are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their political views and it is very evident with how they interact with their guests and the issues they are discussing. Each made valid points in their arguments. Some a little more harsh than others.

            Anderson Cooper seemed like he tried to remain a little bit more neutral with his questions and with his guests. His guests included our very own Elijah Cummings. He brought in all sides during his questions about the government shutdown. Some of his guests were definitely more on edge then others at certain points. The only real interruptions were to ask question.

            However in Hannity the guests were 3 to 1 in favor of conservatives. He definitely showed his opinions and wasn't neutral at all. Hannity was very aggressive towards his guest Chris Hahn, who is a democratic strategist. Hahn could hardly talk before being attacked by everyone around him. There was a definite show of disrespect towards Hahn.

            In both shows they were split 50/50 in their fact and opinion. Both Cooper and Hannity offered percentages and statistics on the multiple aspects of the government. Hannity's main focal point was on how Obama's support percentage has dropped since the start of the government shutdown.

            Needless to say Hannity is very conservative and Cooper is liberal. They both focused on the government shutdown and what the opposing side was doing to try to help the situation move along. They both were very serious about the issues being discussed. One was a little bit more of an aggressor, but that is expected in politics. Listening to these two at points gave me a headache from being as loud as they were at points. It was a little unnecessary if you ask me.

What is it with Reality TV?

I guess you can say I caved in. I sat down the other night and actually watched The Jersey Shore. This show in itself is an example of how our priorities in society have changed. Every problem that is in this show stems from the partying that Snooki, Jenni, Angelina, Ronny, Pauly, Vinny, Sammi, and Mike are doing. It makes the group look like they are children and immature. It truly seems that everyone in the show cares about partying and hooking up with random people.

            Society has definitely shown the influences these kind of shows have had on it. As a whole you can see a change. The partying seems to be more evident throughout society. It's like the kind of behavior being shown is more accepted now compared to the past. The behavior is becoming more and more obnoxious in everyday life.

             The affect on the younger generation is clear as well. The behavior and attitude has changed. The younger generation has taken this show way too seriously and have used it to escape their lives. They follow this group and try to emulate them. They look up to them as heroes and try to do things like they do. That leads to them getting into more and more trouble.

            Everyday people are getting their fifteen minutes of fame and probably a lot more because of shows like this. The everyday person is following their lead and making money through it. I'm not trying to bad mouth the fact that they are making a living off of it, but it is a little too much at this point. It seems like all the reality shows are blending into one show and become very similar.

            Embarrassed seems to be a common theme in these shows. Their behavior is key to the embarrassment that is going on. Everything stems back to the behavior and the attitudes that are occurring in the show. The issues that are happening in the show are all happening because of the partying.

 

 

John Manser

 

 

 

 

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