Nike Takes a Knee with Kaepernick

You all know the story of Colin Kaepernick.  If not, here's a snippet.

In 2016 Colin Kaepernick played as a quarterback for the NFL team, the San Francisco 49er's.  It was during the American National Anthem where he knelt on one knee to protest racial injustice.  It was that action that caused a firestorm of controversy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V3OtQwLpdw

The response from America was divided.  Some people responded negatively demanding for the removal of players who took actions against the National Anthem, while other people walked out of games.  Whereas, those who responded positively applauded Kaepernick's actions.  Some NFL players followed suit and started to take a knee as well. 

One thing is for certain - Kaepernick has been a free agent ever since.  He has not worked as a football player since then. 

Nike however, has taken advantage of Kaepernick's role as a National figure by hiring him for their brand.  Over the summer, Nike decided to take Kaepernick's image and place it in an ad with the ad reading "BELIEVE IN SOMETHING.  EVEN IF IT MEANS SACRIFICING EVERYTHING."  Take a look at the ad below.

Make sure to also take a look at the commercial.  The link is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hIc_epqfI0

So, here it is again.  People are, once more, divided.  Now Nike seems to be in the centre of a firestorm.  Where some people are burning the Nike logo or their shoes, some are buying as many Nike products they can afford. 

Actor Jenifer Lewis at the 2018 Emmy's

Do a little research and explore the types of responses these Nike ads are getting.  What do you think about the way people are responding?  In your blogpost tell us what you think of these ads.  Do you think Nike's main goal is to turn a profit?  Do they truly care about racial injustice?  Does the public's response affect you at all?  If so, how?  

More and more celebrities are taking stances against certain issues like the one mentioned above, so we are bound to see more activism and more demand for justice. This is just the beginning.

Blogging Rules!

Image Source : socialmedia.biz

 Having an online presence can be a lot of fun, but also holds a lot of responsibility!  
Here are some key tips to remember when creating posts for your blog.

- Don't divulge personal information: use your FIRST NAME ONLY, don't give any details with regards to contact information, home address, phone numbers, last names of friends or relatives, instant messaging names, age, or birth date.

- No questionable photos of you or anything else: If you wouldn't show it to your grandma, don't post it on the web! Avoid posting photos of yourself.

- Remember the internet is permanent! Anyone on the Internet can easily print out a blog or save it to a computer.

- Use blogging provider sites with clearly stated terms of use, and make sure they can protect the actual blogs, not just the user accounts, with password protection. (Even so, it's better to assume anyone can see it.)

- Avoid trying to "out-do" or compete with other bloggers.

Image Source : livethegoodlifewithsara.com

- Keep it clean and positive: Our blogs are reflective of our Catholic values. Sexist, racist, homophobic, or any type of oppressive and offensive language will not be tolerated!

Welcome to Blogging!

Welcome to the 2018/2019 grade 10 Media Arts/Comm course.  

We are happy to have you all as students in this new and exciting school year.  For this blog unit we will be sharing some news, stories and events that involve digital media along with various other forms of media.

http://markdalton.net/tag/blog/

As part of your media arts / communications technology course you will be required to create and maintain your own media arts / communications blog. Blogging has quickly become a very popular form of communication and online journaling.


Through this course your will be required to reply to six different media / technology issues or topics that will be posted here for you to respond to on your own blog. Each response must be no less than 300 words and should have discussions relevant to media arts and communication technology. You will also be required to respond to 6 other people's blogs with thoughtful ideas and comments with a 100 words (min). The evaluation for this unit is found in your unit guide. Once you have completed all tasks (which will take you several months) you will submit your unit guide, with a list of the six blogs that you responded to, for evaluation.


Happy Blogging!
Ms. Powell and Ms Arturi

#metoo #timesup

WOMEN'S MARCH 2018

Washington Women's March

Last Saturday was the anniversary of the Women's March.  Across the globe thousands of people showed up to support the movement.  Lately, women, along with some men,  have come forward sharing stories of inappropriate behaviour in the form of sexual harrassment mostly by men in positions of power. 

Oprah Winfrey at 2018 Grammy's

The media have been all over this.  Find some excerpts of media stories that depict the #metoo #timesup movement.  Where did all this come from?  What are some stories coming from this movement and what have you seen in terms of award shows, talk shows and/or coverage that support the women/men behind these stories of harrassment and the protection of women's rights?

Tell us what you think of this movement and why you think it's important. 

WOMEN FIRED FOR GIVING THE FINGER

What would you do if a infamous politician, one like Donald Trump, passed you on the road.  Would you wave, take a selfie, or...give the finger?  Guess what happened to the woman below?  She got fired.

Read the attached article and write a response explaining what you think of this situation.  In your response consider the importance of online presence and how perception plays a role.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/06/woman-fired-showing-donald-trump-middle-finger-motorcade-passed/

INCLUSIVE PEPSI COMMERCIAL NOT SO INCLUSIVE

2017 Pepsi commerical

Pepsi's 2017 commercial starring Kendall Jenner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfCiV6ysngU

Over the summer Pepsi published a controversial commercial that placed Kendall Jenner in the spotlight.  The commercial highlighted a peaceful protest that included people of various backgrounds and ethnicity, but the star of the commercial was Jenner.  It was her appearance as the hero that stirred the pot. 

In the midst of the protest march Kendall walks through the crowd and hands a police officer a can of Pepsi which was then followed by cheers and applauds from the crowd. 

Social media's response to this was swift and electric.  The media posted that Pepsi appropriated the hard fought campaigns of Black Lives Matters, and the use of a white, privileged woman made BLM's cause seem unimportant.    Jenner's appearance, to say the least,  made people very upset.  

Take a look at the ad using the youtube link above.  Then go on to research what the media says about it.  Do you agree that the ad trivializes the Black Lives Matter campaign?  What about the civil rights movement that took place in the 60's?  In your post, comment on the ad and how it works against these important organizations and historical events.  

RACIST HALLOWEEN

"Sun Rise Princess" costume

"Dream Catcher Cutie" costume

Halloween is just around the corner and with it comes awesome costumes. BUT there's still a problem.  For years, stores like Party City have been called on to stop the promotion of costumes that depict people of colour.  Costumes like the ones above - Sun Rise Princess and Dream Catcher Cutie - depict Indigenous cultures and are still found at various Party Cities in Toronto.  

In fact, costumes that depict cultures and people of colour can be found everywhere.  This is hugely problematic and highly inappropriate, yet there are people who think nothing of this.  

Click on the link below and read the attached article.  Write an entry in your blog about this ongoing problem and make sure to tell us what you think.  Try to find images of costumes that you deem inappropriate (you'll be surprised to see what exists) and add them to your post.  

https://www.thestar.com/life/2017/10/19/racist-halloween-costumes-still-abound-in-toronto-stores.html