I mentioned that I was involved with a new media/parenting company called "Parentsware". I'll be contributing to their blog every so often and will post a link here. Go check them out! You can also sign up for their newsletter. I'm very impressed with this company - they are committed to helping parents navigate the world of new media.
My recent post is on infants and media. We discussed this in class, but recently, one of the very top names in infant media came out with a statement that media via TABLETS might not be as bad as we thought? Read here for my thoughts on the subject.
http://parentsware.com/baby-media
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
If only bullets were flowers....
One of my former students sent me this clip from Ellen, talking about how to improve on violence in the media. I love it!
Monday, March 17, 2014
Target's photoshop FAIL....
So much I could blog about today!
First - we FINALLY saw Frozen! I have been waiting patiently for it to come to the dollar theater and it finally came! It was amazing - I loved it! My kids loved it! Hooray for Disney!
My one complaint (okay two) is that (1) both Anna and particularly Elsa are very thin and sexualized in points. Typical Disney Princess for you! (2) I feel like Anna's character is VERY similar to Rapunzel. The part where she was asking that guy to take her up the mountain? Just like when Rapunzel was asking Flynn to take her to see the lights. They even look alike and have a similar voice. I'm just saying......
But besides that, I loved it! LOVE those powerful females!!
So here is what I want to write about. Target has been in the news for all sorts of things lately. Not sure if you saw this one floating around, but here is a giant Photoshop fail from Target. Note a few things - (1) her left arm is grotesquely skinny and looks stretched out. (2) she is missing half of her crotch. Seriously.
Here is a close up
I'm so glad that this was pointed out in the news media (I think Huffington Post picked it up). Target should be ashamed. Additionally, they should be even more ashamed given that it is a swimming suit for adolescents!!! As if they don't already have enough body image problems.......
Here is Target's reply apologizing for the mistake.
"In response to your query about the swimsuit image on Target.com, this was an unfortunate error on our part and we apologize. We have removed the image from our Web site,” a company spokesman said. Asked how the mistake occurred, "It was the result of a photo editing error on our part."
What they should be apologizing for is photoshopping young girls in the first place!! Dream on Dr. Coyne..............
First - we FINALLY saw Frozen! I have been waiting patiently for it to come to the dollar theater and it finally came! It was amazing - I loved it! My kids loved it! Hooray for Disney!
My one complaint (okay two) is that (1) both Anna and particularly Elsa are very thin and sexualized in points. Typical Disney Princess for you! (2) I feel like Anna's character is VERY similar to Rapunzel. The part where she was asking that guy to take her up the mountain? Just like when Rapunzel was asking Flynn to take her to see the lights. They even look alike and have a similar voice. I'm just saying......
But besides that, I loved it! LOVE those powerful females!!
So here is what I want to write about. Target has been in the news for all sorts of things lately. Not sure if you saw this one floating around, but here is a giant Photoshop fail from Target. Note a few things - (1) her left arm is grotesquely skinny and looks stretched out. (2) she is missing half of her crotch. Seriously.
Here is a close up
I'm so glad that this was pointed out in the news media (I think Huffington Post picked it up). Target should be ashamed. Additionally, they should be even more ashamed given that it is a swimming suit for adolescents!!! As if they don't already have enough body image problems.......
Here is Target's reply apologizing for the mistake.
"In response to your query about the swimsuit image on Target.com, this was an unfortunate error on our part and we apologize. We have removed the image from our Web site,” a company spokesman said. Asked how the mistake occurred, "It was the result of a photo editing error on our part."
What they should be apologizing for is photoshopping young girls in the first place!! Dream on Dr. Coyne..............
Monday, March 10, 2014
A girlygirlygirlygirlygirly weekend!
Oh-kay! I know we just talked about gender stereotypes and media this last week, but me and Hannah just had a girly OVERLOAD this weekend!
Day 1: Disney on ice
Confession- when I was a kid, I was convinced I would be an Olympic figure skater when I grew up. Okay, I can barely skate and never took a single lesson, but this was not going to sway me from my dream! :) So, I love to watch figure skating! On Friday, Hannah and I went to go see Disney on Ice. It was so good! I loved the figure skating - they were way good! I also enjoyed watching as they acted out the Disney stories via ice. They did the Little Mermaid, Tangled, Brave, and Beauty and the Beast. The Brave one was awesome!!! Lots of girl power there! :)
What I couldn't get past was the sheer number of little girls dressed up as Disney Princesses, buying Disney princess merchandise - seriously - who pays $12 for a SNOWCONE in a Disney cup? It is just water!!!! Disney must be making some serious bank off of this.
Hannah loved it. She giggled and smiled and sighed in all the right places. She sat on my lap the whole time and we snuggled for most of the production - such a great day!
Day 2: Fairy Tea Party
So I really enjoyed Disney on Ice because I felt there was sort of a balance with some gender issues. The Fairy Tea was PURE GIRL.
This was held at Provo City Library. One of my friends got a bunch of my mom friends and their little girls tickets. The ballroom was decked out in lights and fabric. EVERYONE was dressed up! Even most of the adults. I wore Hannah's "supergirl" cape....part in protest! :) It started and the lead fairy flitted out and talked about good manners, and being sweet, and lovely. I think I rolled my eyes like 10 times, and told myself I had to stop! Then there was a fairy ballet (actually very good) and then the girls promenaded and twirled in front of the Fairy King. Hannah said (and I quote), "mom - that was CREEPY!" That's my girl! Then we had a proper tea with biscuits, fruit, and lemonade. Hannah had a fun time with her friends, but couldn't wait to get out of her dress up because it was too itchy.
What do I think about these kind of things? Am I annoyed at how superficial they were? Yes. Am I annoyed at the focus on being pretty and fancy? Yes. However, I loved spending time with Hannah! She is 6 years old and is kind of growing out of this phase. I had to convince her to dress up for the Fairy Tea Party and she didn't dress up for the Disney on Ice one. There is something magical about having a little girl, and I guess if I need to tolerate a little glitz and glam and sparkles, then so be it! Sometimes you just have to embrace the girliness. I will miss this stage when it is gone.
Though I must say, I was extremely pleased on the way back - Hannah said, "mom did you know that girls can do anything boys can do?" She then told me about an epidose of Sofia the First (Disney's newest princess for preschoolers) where Sofia wants to play polo but only the boys play polo. She sings this awesome song "I can do...anything, so can you - anything!" about not letting people put you down - and then tells me that Sofia plays polo with the boys and she scores the winning goal! Now there's a media character I can get behind.
Day 1: Disney on ice
Confession- when I was a kid, I was convinced I would be an Olympic figure skater when I grew up. Okay, I can barely skate and never took a single lesson, but this was not going to sway me from my dream! :) So, I love to watch figure skating! On Friday, Hannah and I went to go see Disney on Ice. It was so good! I loved the figure skating - they were way good! I also enjoyed watching as they acted out the Disney stories via ice. They did the Little Mermaid, Tangled, Brave, and Beauty and the Beast. The Brave one was awesome!!! Lots of girl power there! :)
What I couldn't get past was the sheer number of little girls dressed up as Disney Princesses, buying Disney princess merchandise - seriously - who pays $12 for a SNOWCONE in a Disney cup? It is just water!!!! Disney must be making some serious bank off of this.
Hannah loved it. She giggled and smiled and sighed in all the right places. She sat on my lap the whole time and we snuggled for most of the production - such a great day!
Day 2: Fairy Tea Party
So I really enjoyed Disney on Ice because I felt there was sort of a balance with some gender issues. The Fairy Tea was PURE GIRL.
This was held at Provo City Library. One of my friends got a bunch of my mom friends and their little girls tickets. The ballroom was decked out in lights and fabric. EVERYONE was dressed up! Even most of the adults. I wore Hannah's "supergirl" cape....part in protest! :) It started and the lead fairy flitted out and talked about good manners, and being sweet, and lovely. I think I rolled my eyes like 10 times, and told myself I had to stop! Then there was a fairy ballet (actually very good) and then the girls promenaded and twirled in front of the Fairy King. Hannah said (and I quote), "mom - that was CREEPY!" That's my girl! Then we had a proper tea with biscuits, fruit, and lemonade. Hannah had a fun time with her friends, but couldn't wait to get out of her dress up because it was too itchy.
What do I think about these kind of things? Am I annoyed at how superficial they were? Yes. Am I annoyed at the focus on being pretty and fancy? Yes. However, I loved spending time with Hannah! She is 6 years old and is kind of growing out of this phase. I had to convince her to dress up for the Fairy Tea Party and she didn't dress up for the Disney on Ice one. There is something magical about having a little girl, and I guess if I need to tolerate a little glitz and glam and sparkles, then so be it! Sometimes you just have to embrace the girliness. I will miss this stage when it is gone.
Though I must say, I was extremely pleased on the way back - Hannah said, "mom did you know that girls can do anything boys can do?" She then told me about an epidose of Sofia the First (Disney's newest princess for preschoolers) where Sofia wants to play polo but only the boys play polo. She sings this awesome song "I can do...anything, so can you - anything!" about not letting people put you down - and then tells me that Sofia plays polo with the boys and she scores the winning goal! Now there's a media character I can get behind.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Dancing water
Today was parent's day at Hannah's dance class. Now, I know I'm not big on gender stereotypes, and Hannah also does soccer, tennis, and Brazilian jiu jitsu, but let me tell you a secret. There are few things in this life that give me as much joy as seeing my little girl dance. It just makes me so happy every time!!
A few pictures I took right before her last recital
Well, at dance class today they gave us just a little sneak preview for their upcoming recital in May. The dance they will be doing is called "dancing water" and they will go through the entire water cycle through dance. Very creative. And guess what song they are using?
Yep, if you remember back to our music lecture, this was the song that I would "be" if I was a song! I'm so excited - and it is perfect for the theme. As I watched Hannah dance to "Waterfall" today, pretending she was a floating raindrop, I just felt really, really, happy. I can't explain it -it's like everything was okay with the world all of a sudden.
A few pictures I took right before her last recital
Well, at dance class today they gave us just a little sneak preview for their upcoming recital in May. The dance they will be doing is called "dancing water" and they will go through the entire water cycle through dance. Very creative. And guess what song they are using?
Yep, if you remember back to our music lecture, this was the song that I would "be" if I was a song! I'm so excited - and it is perfect for the theme. As I watched Hannah dance to "Waterfall" today, pretending she was a floating raindrop, I just felt really, really, happy. I can't explain it -it's like everything was okay with the world all of a sudden.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Cereal...and what the heck am I supposed to eat for breakfast now?????
My husband asked me, "What's the deal with LIFE?"
"You are going to have to be a bit more specific", I replied.
"The cereal. I always thought it would be disgusting because of the name. But then I tried it today and it was AWESOME. Totally full of sugar."
"And your point?", I asked.
"Stupid marketing. The cereal just doesn't match up with the name"
Oh----kay! And there is your random media moment from my day! Though just in case you were wondering, Life is actually low in sugar (6 grams a serving) compared to most other cereals (e.g., Lucky charms has 10 grams, Fruit Loops has 12). I was checking this on a website and to my HORROR I found that one of the very worst cereals you can have is Raisin Bran - a whopping 19 grams of sugar per serving!!! I have this like 4 times a week and always thought it super healthy for you!
Stupid marketing, indeed.
Time to find a new, delicious, healthy cereal....suggestions?
"You are going to have to be a bit more specific", I replied.
"The cereal. I always thought it would be disgusting because of the name. But then I tried it today and it was AWESOME. Totally full of sugar."
"And your point?", I asked.
"Stupid marketing. The cereal just doesn't match up with the name"
Oh----kay! And there is your random media moment from my day! Though just in case you were wondering, Life is actually low in sugar (6 grams a serving) compared to most other cereals (e.g., Lucky charms has 10 grams, Fruit Loops has 12). I was checking this on a website and to my HORROR I found that one of the very worst cereals you can have is Raisin Bran - a whopping 19 grams of sugar per serving!!! I have this like 4 times a week and always thought it super healthy for you!
Stupid marketing, indeed.
Time to find a new, delicious, healthy cereal....suggestions?
Monday, February 3, 2014
How I bonded with my 9 year old using SPSS
Okay, this isn't strictly media related, but given that we use SPSS in class, I'm counting it!
I was preparing for my other class and getting a big dataset ready in SPSS. My son, Nathan, came in the room, stalling, not wanting to go to bed.
"Watcha doin'?" he asks
So I tell him all about statistics and correlations and so on thinking he will get bored and go to bed. Instead he asks a ton of questions and we start to run some stats together. We find some evidence that playing violent video games is bad for kids. We find that having a really mean best friend isn't good for anything. We find that when parents are authoritative to their kids then good things happen. We look at a ton of gender differences. Boys are better at self regulation, girls are more depressed, boys are more violent, girls are more anxious and so on and so on. We look at mean differences and significance levels. He kept asking me to run more..... so interested in the gender differences and taking it personally for boys everywhere when girls were significantly higher on a given trait! We ended with a good discussion on gender showing that both boys and girls are good at lots of things, so hopefully he doesn't read TOO much into the stats.
We seriously did this for an hour. He asked how he could do this for his job. Just keep doing well in Math, I told him. Now as I'm reflecting on this, he totally just manipulated me into staying up an hour past his bedtime. So he wins. But I win too.......SUCH a nerdy mother/son bonding activity but I'm loving it!!!!
Me and my little guy
I was preparing for my other class and getting a big dataset ready in SPSS. My son, Nathan, came in the room, stalling, not wanting to go to bed.
"Watcha doin'?" he asks
So I tell him all about statistics and correlations and so on thinking he will get bored and go to bed. Instead he asks a ton of questions and we start to run some stats together. We find some evidence that playing violent video games is bad for kids. We find that having a really mean best friend isn't good for anything. We find that when parents are authoritative to their kids then good things happen. We look at a ton of gender differences. Boys are better at self regulation, girls are more depressed, boys are more violent, girls are more anxious and so on and so on. We look at mean differences and significance levels. He kept asking me to run more..... so interested in the gender differences and taking it personally for boys everywhere when girls were significantly higher on a given trait! We ended with a good discussion on gender showing that both boys and girls are good at lots of things, so hopefully he doesn't read TOO much into the stats.
We seriously did this for an hour. He asked how he could do this for his job. Just keep doing well in Math, I told him. Now as I'm reflecting on this, he totally just manipulated me into staying up an hour past his bedtime. So he wins. But I win too.......SUCH a nerdy mother/son bonding activity but I'm loving it!!!!
Me and my little guy
Monday, January 20, 2014
I am SO mad right now
I was just checking up on who was visiting my blog. I clicked on a link that I didn't recognize and BOOM up popped a porn site. And even worse, my 9 year old son, Nate, was sitting right next to me! I feel violated. I hate pornography. I have three sons and it makes me sad that they have to grow up in a world where women are portrayed in such ways. The only upside is that me and Nate got to have a really good conversation about pornography. We've definitely talked about it before but this is his first experience of actually SEEING something. And I suppose it was lucky that I was there so we could talk about it and hopefully use it as a teaching time. SO mad though. He is such an innocent and sweet little kid and he to deal with that filth. Seriously so mad right now!
I took the plunge…...
Well, I took the plunge and finally joined Twitter. I've been really anti-Twitter for a while because:
a) I think the word "tweet" is annoying
b) I despise the whole hashtag thing
c) I already have enough social media to fill up my brain
But since I study the media and I talk to parents all the time about how they need to know new media since their kids are going to be on it - I thought I better practice what I preach.
Though confession - I don't really know how to use it! For all you guys out there - do you use Twitter? If so, who do you follow? What is the benefit of Twitter compared to Facebook or Instagram (both of which I am currently on)? And somebody explain to me how this whole hashtag thing works? Honestly, my brain is just tired thinking about it!
Oh and feel free to follow me @moneycoyne on Twitter. When I actually figure it out, I just might post something! :)
Happy tweeting!
a) I think the word "tweet" is annoying
b) I despise the whole hashtag thing
c) I already have enough social media to fill up my brain
But since I study the media and I talk to parents all the time about how they need to know new media since their kids are going to be on it - I thought I better practice what I preach.
Though confession - I don't really know how to use it! For all you guys out there - do you use Twitter? If so, who do you follow? What is the benefit of Twitter compared to Facebook or Instagram (both of which I am currently on)? And somebody explain to me how this whole hashtag thing works? Honestly, my brain is just tired thinking about it!
Oh and feel free to follow me @moneycoyne on Twitter. When I actually figure it out, I just might post something! :)
Happy tweeting!
Monday, January 13, 2014
One very *sassy* commercial
My daughter, Hannah, was singing this song...
"I'm Scat, the cat, I'm sassy and I'm fat. If you don't like my color then I'll change it like that!"
Nate (age 9) started tattling that Hannah was saying the word "sassy". When I asked him why that was a problem, he said, "well, sassy and sexy are the same thing". We had a little conversation about the difference between being sassy (which him and his sister are frequently) and sexy (entirely different ballpark).
Then he said, "Sexy is like on that commercial where they try to sell hamburgers" (in reference to Carl's Jr. commercials). When I asked him why they used sexy women in these commercials he said, "It's like they are trying to make you think that if you don't eat their hamburgers then you won't be cool. But then if you DO eat their hamburgers then you'll be sexy. It's just not the truth, though! It's just a HAMBURGER!!!"
This is like the most tame advert I could find....
Right on kid!!!! I despise Carl's Jr and their sexualization of women in advertising and am SO glad he is actually using his brain when these commercials come on!
"I'm Scat, the cat, I'm sassy and I'm fat. If you don't like my color then I'll change it like that!"
Nate (age 9) started tattling that Hannah was saying the word "sassy". When I asked him why that was a problem, he said, "well, sassy and sexy are the same thing". We had a little conversation about the difference between being sassy (which him and his sister are frequently) and sexy (entirely different ballpark).
Then he said, "Sexy is like on that commercial where they try to sell hamburgers" (in reference to Carl's Jr. commercials). When I asked him why they used sexy women in these commercials he said, "It's like they are trying to make you think that if you don't eat their hamburgers then you won't be cool. But then if you DO eat their hamburgers then you'll be sexy. It's just not the truth, though! It's just a HAMBURGER!!!"
This is like the most tame advert I could find....
Right on kid!!!! I despise Carl's Jr and their sexualization of women in advertising and am SO glad he is actually using his brain when these commercials come on!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Liam Nolan Coyne
I realized that I hadn't posted any pictures of our newest family member - Liam Nolan Coyne. Liam was born on May 16 and was 7 lb 2 oz. He is almost two months old now and we are LOOOOOVING having a newborn again (though I may sell my left arm for a bit of sleep!)
In the hospital
In the hospital
On his blessing day last Sunday! I love this gummy grin!!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Thanks for a great semester!
Just wanted to thank all my current students for a great semester! I love teaching this class and you guys were an amazing group! I'm going on maternity leave until January of next year, so I doubt I will be updating this blog very frequently. But feel free to check in occasionally as I'll likely post a few things here and there. I'll for sure post pictures of new baby Coyne when he is born! Wow, we REALLY need to get serious about names...only 1 months left!
Remember, to keep being a critical consumer of media, and keep in touch! If you haven't added me on Facebook and want to, I would love to see what you are up to!
Sarah
Remember, to keep being a critical consumer of media, and keep in touch! If you haven't added me on Facebook and want to, I would love to see what you are up to!
Sarah
Monday, April 8, 2013
Nate's very own pokemon card
The kids were already in bed, so I was slightly annoyed when Nate came out and gave me this note (in the original spelling)
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Dear Mom,
I promest my teecher that I would give her a suprize today. And it is going to be a Pokemon named Anna Pulgiano. She will be so surpized and it is a nice thing to do. So I need to make it right now. Love Nate. P.S. I am going to wright a nice note to her.
He did his super cute smile thing as well, and I couldn't say no! So we went to http://www.mypokecard.com/en/ and Nate made her a Pokemon card just for her. Here it is:
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We found a picture of his teacher on his school webpage (slightly distorted on the card) and made the card in about 10 minutes. He printed a back to the card as well and pasted it to the front, so it even looks legit.
Here is the note he wrote to his teacher:
Dear Miss Pugliano,
Thank you for being the best teacher ever. And thank you for teaching us. Love Nate. P.S. I love you.
And then there is a little drawing of two people made out of hearts, one that says "you", and one that says "me".
I thought this was SUCH a cute use of media tonight, and I hope his teacher loves it tomorrow! I'm just saying....how come none of you make a Pokemon card for me? :) Ah, the joys of being a 2nd grade teacher!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Maternity photo shoot
I'm going to get a bit personal here, but pregnancy is TOUGH! Between working a full time job and raising three young kids on top of everything else in my day, I go to bed exhausted most evenings. I've had some health issues that I won't go into here, that have made this pregnancy particularly hard.
Well, my husband is awesome - for Christmas he got me a maternity photo shoot, which I've never done. This is such a luxury I would NEVER think of getting it for myself, but I thought it was such a thoughtful gift that I went along with it. The shoot was a couple of weeks ago and the photographer has a blog (here is my media tie in) that she posts photos from her sessions. I won't be able to view the whole photo session for about another week, but she posted just a few on her blog that have kept me going the last few weeks. Pregnancy really is beautiful and these pictures remind me why I am putting myself through this wretchedness - for FAMILY. It is a sacrifice, but so worth it in the end. I love my little family so much - they mean everything in the world to me, and I'm grateful for these pictures for capturing a few precious moments I will treasure forever.
I've changed my family photo for the blog, and here are two others that I just love! You need to click on the second one to see the great detail, and the look on my baby boy's face! Priceless!
And a plug for the photographer - her name is Sarah Woods from Remember When photography. This photographer is SOOO talented! I'd highly recommend her for wedding pictures, newborn pics, whatever - she does it all! Her website is www.photographybyrememberwhen.com so check it out if you are looking for a photographer!
Well, my husband is awesome - for Christmas he got me a maternity photo shoot, which I've never done. This is such a luxury I would NEVER think of getting it for myself, but I thought it was such a thoughtful gift that I went along with it. The shoot was a couple of weeks ago and the photographer has a blog (here is my media tie in) that she posts photos from her sessions. I won't be able to view the whole photo session for about another week, but she posted just a few on her blog that have kept me going the last few weeks. Pregnancy really is beautiful and these pictures remind me why I am putting myself through this wretchedness - for FAMILY. It is a sacrifice, but so worth it in the end. I love my little family so much - they mean everything in the world to me, and I'm grateful for these pictures for capturing a few precious moments I will treasure forever.
I've changed my family photo for the blog, and here are two others that I just love! You need to click on the second one to see the great detail, and the look on my baby boy's face! Priceless!
And a plug for the photographer - her name is Sarah Woods from Remember When photography. This photographer is SOOO talented! I'd highly recommend her for wedding pictures, newborn pics, whatever - she does it all! Her website is www.photographybyrememberwhen.com so check it out if you are looking for a photographer!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tom Hanks spoofs Toddlers and Tiaras
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Suit up!
I saw this in the JFSB office and couldn't resist a picture.
For those of you who watch "How I met your mother", you'll recognize Barney with his classic catchphrase. I like how they called it "How I got my internship" - nice play on the show.
Though I should say that this show is SUPER naughty! Not sure if you've seen it - it is super funny, but I don't think I could ever recommend it because there is a TON of sexual dialogue, especially from this particular character!
My husband likes the show, so I texted him this picture - his text back to me, "are you grabbing his bum?" Yep, my husband is awesome! :)
For those of you who watch "How I met your mother", you'll recognize Barney with his classic catchphrase. I like how they called it "How I got my internship" - nice play on the show.
Though I should say that this show is SUPER naughty! Not sure if you've seen it - it is super funny, but I don't think I could ever recommend it because there is a TON of sexual dialogue, especially from this particular character!
My husband likes the show, so I texted him this picture - his text back to me, "are you grabbing his bum?" Yep, my husband is awesome! :)
Friday, March 15, 2013
Yet another Misrepresentation in my day
Today I did a media interview for a new women's talk show on BYU TV. They were interviewing hosts so I was the guinea pig for their potential host to practice on.
The girl who was the host is an actress who lives in NYC! She has been in quite a few commercials(mostly for women's products). Her first name is Kristy and I can't remember her last name or I would tell you so you could look her up.
I've done quite a few media interviews, but this was a bit different. First, I thought it was radio, not TV, so I wasn't prepared for the elaborate set they had (where they film studio C I think). Thank goodness I didn't wear ripped jeans! Also, when I arrived, they had a professional makeup artist do my makeup! I must have looked tired cause she put a lot of makeup under my eyes! :) I was grateful, but felt almost unethical given what we just spoke about today in class!
I chatted with the host a bit about her glamorous lifestyle and she said it is fun, but there is a price. For example, they photoshop everything. Her dentist wanted her to get veneers, but she said, "why? They are just going to lighten my teeth anyway" They typically change her eyes to blue (they are green usually) and completely airbrush her skin. I thought she said something very telling when she said, "I often wish I could walk around with my airbrush face on...so much nicer!" And she was WAY pretty! She said her best friends all look exactly the same because they all go to the same auditions, so spend a lot of time together. And she got one part because of a tiny line between her eyes (the producers actually told her that). She also said that she recently did an audition with her daughters, but they said she would never get the part because they weren't believable as mother/daughter. Why? She is brunette and her daughter is blond. Crappy Hollywood.
Anyway, the interview was a fun 8 min out of my time (we talked about mean girls, video games, and school shootings) but I think this experience really hit home after what we talked about today in class. It was so interesting to hear this kind of a stuff from an actual actress trying to make it big on actual TV. Absolutely fascinating.
The girl who was the host is an actress who lives in NYC! She has been in quite a few commercials(mostly for women's products). Her first name is Kristy and I can't remember her last name or I would tell you so you could look her up.
I've done quite a few media interviews, but this was a bit different. First, I thought it was radio, not TV, so I wasn't prepared for the elaborate set they had (where they film studio C I think). Thank goodness I didn't wear ripped jeans! Also, when I arrived, they had a professional makeup artist do my makeup! I must have looked tired cause she put a lot of makeup under my eyes! :) I was grateful, but felt almost unethical given what we just spoke about today in class!
I chatted with the host a bit about her glamorous lifestyle and she said it is fun, but there is a price. For example, they photoshop everything. Her dentist wanted her to get veneers, but she said, "why? They are just going to lighten my teeth anyway" They typically change her eyes to blue (they are green usually) and completely airbrush her skin. I thought she said something very telling when she said, "I often wish I could walk around with my airbrush face on...so much nicer!" And she was WAY pretty! She said her best friends all look exactly the same because they all go to the same auditions, so spend a lot of time together. And she got one part because of a tiny line between her eyes (the producers actually told her that). She also said that she recently did an audition with her daughters, but they said she would never get the part because they weren't believable as mother/daughter. Why? She is brunette and her daughter is blond. Crappy Hollywood.
Anyway, the interview was a fun 8 min out of my time (we talked about mean girls, video games, and school shootings) but I think this experience really hit home after what we talked about today in class. It was so interesting to hear this kind of a stuff from an actual actress trying to make it big on actual TV. Absolutely fascinating.
Monday, March 4, 2013
A moment brought to you by the best Disney film ever
This is short and sweet but I had to share:
My husband caught the previously mentioned stomach flu so was in bed all day. I came home right after class and hung out with the kids. Tonight we went to Brick Oven for FHE. After dinner, Hannah (age 5) comes over to me and puts her hands on my face. I thought she was going to say something sweet like, "I love you Mommy", but instead she said, "Did you know you have something green in your teeth, just like on Emporer's New Groove?" For some reason, this complely cracked me up, which cracked all the kids up, even Aidan who had no clue what was going on but thought it was hilarious!
Fantastic use of media!
My husband caught the previously mentioned stomach flu so was in bed all day. I came home right after class and hung out with the kids. Tonight we went to Brick Oven for FHE. After dinner, Hannah (age 5) comes over to me and puts her hands on my face. I thought she was going to say something sweet like, "I love you Mommy", but instead she said, "Did you know you have something green in your teeth, just like on Emporer's New Groove?" For some reason, this complely cracked me up, which cracked all the kids up, even Aidan who had no clue what was going on but thought it was hilarious!
Fantastic use of media!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
A pukey media filled weekend
Not the best of weekends - I caught the stomach flu and spent all day Saturday and Sunday throwing up and laying in bed. Which super isn't fun when you are pregnant, because all the stomach indigestion triggered some serious contractions which triggered even more nausea. MIS-ER-ABLE!
Well, I'm better now and apart from the fact that I want your pity, the reason I am telling you all this is because I spent a whole lot of time watching TV. I caught up on Grey's Anatomy Once Upon a Time, and Nashville, and then spent the afternoon watching a movie I'd never heard of called "The Mighty Macs". It was so surprisingly good I wanted to tell you about it!
It's based on a true story, which is always fantastic. It involves a down on their luck women's basketball team from a Catholic college who get a new coach who turns the team around. It was pretty cheesy, but actually quite good. I found myself cheering for the team and even shed a tear in the last few moments of "the big game". There are a number of good messages about commitment - to your team, to your God, to your self, and to your dreams. PLUS, it's rated G - which you never see anymore! Good ole' family fun.
Though not everyone will be excited about this movie. Case in point - I was telling my husband about the movie and he said, "why would you want to watch actual women's basketball let alone a movie about it?" PUNK. Let's hope he was kidding....at least a little bit!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Utah baby names - why oh why?
Naming a child is a huge responsibility! So frankly, it drives me crazy with all the.....well.....stupid baby names out there!! My sister works in a doctor's office so she will text me some of the more ridiculous baby names that she sees in any given week. I am constantly amazed by the names that parents come up with - these poor kids are going to have to live with these names forever!
Here is a funny video about actual names from Utah (and why I can post this on my media blog!) I also love the Utah "poof" that appears later on in the video.
What do you say when it is in your own family? I have a (different) sister who named her daughter, Gwenhwyvere (like Guinevere from the King Arthur legend). This poor girl is in kindergarten, but luckily, has half the letters of the alphabet in her name already, so that should help with letter recognition! Fortunately, she goes by Gwen, so that simplifies things. And I can say that here because we now have a running joke (which my sister participates in) about her daughter's name! :)
You would think with a name like, "Sarah" that I would be all for unique and crazy names. After all, Sarah was the number 1 name the year I was born and I regularly had 3 or 4 Sarahs in all my classes growing up. But interestingly, I've gone fairly traditional with our three kids so far (Nathan, Hannah, and Aidan- this last one was a super compromise. My husband really wanted an Irish name and this was the one that I tolerated the most!)
Here is a funny video about actual names from Utah (and why I can post this on my media blog!) I also love the Utah "poof" that appears later on in the video.
What do you say when it is in your own family? I have a (different) sister who named her daughter, Gwenhwyvere (like Guinevere from the King Arthur legend). This poor girl is in kindergarten, but luckily, has half the letters of the alphabet in her name already, so that should help with letter recognition! Fortunately, she goes by Gwen, so that simplifies things. And I can say that here because we now have a running joke (which my sister participates in) about her daughter's name! :)
You would think with a name like, "Sarah" that I would be all for unique and crazy names. After all, Sarah was the number 1 name the year I was born and I regularly had 3 or 4 Sarahs in all my classes growing up. But interestingly, I've gone fairly traditional with our three kids so far (Nathan, Hannah, and Aidan- this last one was a super compromise. My husband really wanted an Irish name and this was the one that I tolerated the most!)
So do we have a baby name yet for this new baby boy Coyne? Not yet - my husband is funny about the whole naming process so literally won't discuss baby names until I'm about 38 weeks along. I have a ton in mind, but nothing concrete. I would love some suggestions of boy names if you have them (though be prepared to be mocked if they are too far out there)! However, my youngest is positive that we will name that baby "Tea Party Coyne" (my husband always clarifies that this is in no relation to the policital party!) Aidan loves playing with play food and has pretend tea parties all day long (yep, we are raising one masculine little boy here! :) I guess he wants to name the baby after the thing he loves most!
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