Justin Bieber Makes U Smile - Media Meditation #2

While combing through my new Google Reader (if you don't have one I suggest you get one) I came across an article about Justin Bieber's new music video premier for his song "U Smile".

I want to clarify that I am in no way shape or form a Justin Bieber fan, but am curious as to why every preteen girl is swooning over this dorky little kid. After all I used to be a swooney preteen girl but I was unhealthily obsessed with the pierced tattooed guys from Blink 182.
Justin Bieber Photo: http://www.justjustinbieber.info/

I pushed my opinions aside and read the article "Justin Bieber's New Music Video "U Smile" Premiers Thursday on E!"


I learned that Bieber fans have entitled themselves Beleibers...I don't get it, but good for them. The premise of the article was to announce that Justin Bieber would be premiering his new music video on Thursday on E!News and and E!Online. I know, it really sucks that we all have to wait until tomorrow to see this cinematic event. Bieber announced the premier via Twitter (obviously) stating "I took the opportunity 2 make a video 4 the fans about a fan and how we could fall IN LOVE. Love grows". (insert gagging noise here).

Here is a video (not the official music video) of Justin Bieber singing "U Smile" on American Idol. Just in case you are curious.




As much as I think Justin Bieber is a joke...the kid knows what he's doing...or he at least has a manager who knows what they are doing. I can't think of a better way to strengthen your fan base of pre-teen girls then to tell them they have the possibility of falling in love with you. Girls are going to be swooping up his CD's, concert tickets, and merchandise hoping for a chance to meet the pre-pubescent heart throb because they might fall in love. Hopefully they have better luck then I had in my middle school relationships.

Here is a clip of Bieber on Chelsea Lately


Teenage pop stars understand the concept of convergence more than anyone else in the media world. They use myspace, Tweet, Facebook, Music, Video, TV interviews, movies, television sitcoms, blogs and wrap them into one big media package that they use to build a very large and loyal fan base. We can laugh at these teeneybopper acts all we want (and I will continue to) but they are making more money then we can ever dream of because they understand how our new media world works.

52 TV's and Loads of Wings - Media Meditation #1

In order to pay rent and to live the full "college experience" in Burlington for my senior year at Champlain I had to go out and get a job. After combing Craig's List and dropping off job applications I finally got a job at Buffalo Wild Wings. Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) is about three things, wings, beer, and sports. Here is a TV commercial for BWW that gives a pretty good idea of the atmosphere and what the average customer base is like.




As a host at BWW it is my job to greet and seat customers. This has proven to be a difficult task. When customers walk in they are immediately distracted by the 52 televisions that cover almost every wall in the restaurant, including eight gigantic large screen TV's. Kids walk in and are immediately mesmerized. I watch their eyes glaze over as they stare at the amazing number of screens surrounding them. I have never seen kids behave so well in a restaurant either. They are so distracted by the different screens they don't even want to misbehave for their parents.




It is a little mind numbing to be surrounded by that many televisions, especially when you are working for 6 or 7 hours at a time, as it is a constant over stimulation. Sundays are the most interesting days for me to work. Since the start of the NFL regular season Sundays have been hectic. People come in to watch the games, eat wings, and drink beer. Their experience at the restaurant is totally dependent on what TV the game they want to watch is playing on. People wait up to forty five minutes for a table near a TV that is playing their preferred game.

Buffalo Wild Wings, Burlington Vermont http://www.findandgoseek.net/listing/buffalo-wild-wings-grill-and-bar/dads-night-out-with-kids


It is amazing how excited people get about watching sports on TV. For me, watching sports on TV is always kind of a background thing while talking with friends or working around the house. I don't generally devote all my attention to a sporting event on TV unless it is a championship of some sort. For me it is more exciting to actually attend a sporting event live and in person. I am constantly amazed at how riveted to the TV these sports fans are on game day and how for some Sunday Football is the main event of the day. Before Television sporting events were a chance for people to gather together and support their team. But now Television has changed the world of sports and how sports fans can cheer on and support their teams.



I think that Neil Postman would agree with this statement, and I feel that it fits in well with his thesis about how Television has changed our society and the way it works. Instead of being a typographic society we have shifted to an image based society.

A Little About Moi

My name is Kate Dubenetsky, I was born and raised in beautiful South Starksboro Vermont.



A fun media experience I had over the summer was reading Steig Larson's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" which I thought was an awesome book. I finished the 600 page novel in a matter of days because I couldn't put it down. I am now going to read his other two novels because I think he is an excellent writer.

I enjoy the fact that media today is so easily accessible and your curiosity about something can be satisfied with a few clicks of a mouse. Something that bothers me about the media today is how advertising and television affects young children. I found it a little creepy when the four year old I babysat for this summer, who can't even read yet knew that the tag line for Subway was "eat fresh". Children today are living lives that are becoming ruled by television and the media and are forgetting how to use their imagination and be kids.

I love country music, and since this blog is for my Contemporary Media Issues course I thought this music video would be appropriate. This is the video for Brad Paisley's "Welcome to The Future" which is a song that comments on how technology has changed our lives.



I am currently a senior at Champlain College in Burlington Vermont studying Mass Communications. I get questions about what I want to do with my degree at least 5 times a day. My most recent idea is to work for a sports organization such as the Boston Red Sox or the Boston Celtics doing sports marketing.