Movies Losing Their Creativity

Jennifer A

November 28, 2011 - 5:23 PM

Have you watched movie trailers recently? It seems that writers have replaced interesting plot lines with gore, action and special effects. I hate to say it, but Hollywood has loss their touch.

 

If you aren't seeing a sequel of a movie that was a mild success there is a re-make of a classic. Most trailers now giveaway the entire movie and if they don't, it is reasonable enough to guess most plot lines. Take a look at a romantic comedy. First skeptic girl/guy meet, then one dishonors the other. This usually happens through a bet about the significant other. The couple surprisingly falls in love when they find out how they have been wronged by the other. There is a dramatic break-up, sadness, and then somehow they rekindle their love and live happily ever after.

 

There have been a few good movies recently that I have enjoyed. What most of them have in common is they were great books. Thankfully, authors have not lost their creativity (mostly). Great movies like The Help were great books before. Going to the movies used to be an experience, now I can't imagine paying for most of them. (In all honesty, I haven't gone to a movie that wasn't a date in years.)

 

I don't propose an idea how to fix this. Writing a successful screenplay probably has some sort of tried and true formula. With the mass amount of money it takes to make a movie the gross profit has to be enormous. I just wish there was a studio out there who says ‘we have enough money now, let's make good movies instead.' Until that day, we will just have to suffer with crappy movies.

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TiVo: How Advertising Adapted to it

Jennifer A

November 25, 2011 - 8:45 PM

As I am sitting at home after my food coma from Thanksgiving, I am watching my Mom's recorded shows and I click on Top Chef. Because it is on TiVo, I fast-forward through the commercials. As an advertising major I thought to myself "How has TiVo effected advertising?" When my program came back on I watched as the drama of who will have to pack their knives and go when it hit me, advertising is everywhere in this show! Product placement is how advertisers have adapted to TiVo.

 

Take the show I am watching, Top Chef. You can see Fiji waters placed strategically in view; Whole Foods is elegantly placed to fit all their culinary needs. Many challenges have a sponsor. The one I am currently watching is a Chili challenge where Tabasco was the sponsor. They all cook on beautiful new Kenmore appliances and the prize money is furnished by Glad. Really, advertisers are genius.

 

Instead of just an advertisement for their product, they have found a way to integrate their products into the shows people already know and love. It seems to me much more effective. Unless you are really looking for it, you wouldn't know that you are being shown ads. It makes me think, if product placement was banned, how would advertisers adapt to that? Maybe one day we will see...

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What To Do When You Get The ‘Red'

Jennifer A

November 17, 2011 - 1:00 PM

In case you haven't seen the classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's" starring the favulous Audrey Hepburn, the ‘reds' are worse then the "blues." The blues are when you are feeling sad and down. The reds are much worse. It is when you are terrifed and your not even positive why. Holly Go-lightly went to Tiffany's when she felt like that. Today, I got the reds.

 

Since Eugene doesn't have a Tiffany's store I had to improvise. Unfortunately for me, I don't have the luxury of checking out for a day to deal with this feeling. Audrey did not have a job and could roam around the city of New York as she pleased. So I decided to dissect my feelings of redness instead.

 

The impending scariness in the pit of my stomach probably has a direct correlation with my thoughts about the future. The strange this is I shouldn't be scared. I am lucky enough to have gone to an amazing school like UO. Having my education here will provide me with a great stepping-stone for the future. Even with that information, the reds are still there.

 

The only way I was able to get ride of them was to veg out on bad T.V., east some chocolate, treat myself to some Starbucks and laugh. But I'd rather of had breakfast of had breakfast at Tiffany's.

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"Perfect" Gifts

Jennifer A

November 16, 2011 - 12:00 PM

When I opened up the fine student newspaper at UO's campus, a hidden extra was inside. A Holiday Gift Guide: Swag for significant others, parents and bromances. Buying gifts has been an issue for years. Finding the perfect present for your loved one can be daunting. But, why is that?

 

Yes, we are a capitalist society and yes, we place too much value on ‘things'. I refuse to believe that it is all about that though. I feel like it is about a loss of creativity with our relationships.

 

We are supposed to get our Dads a tie, Mom jewelry, brother clothes and boyfriend cologne. We become reliant on this recycling of gifts. We placed our loved ones gifts on monetary value and not thought level. Of course, having money spend on you is nice, but dollar signs should not necessarily equal care value. Instead of buying me clothes, why not surprise me with a sweet date? Or make me a scrapbook of all of our times together. The sweetest gift I ever received has zero street value but it is worth millions in sentimental value.

 

Last Christmas my boyfriend presented me a box that said "I Love You." Inside was a book with Peter and Jen on the leather cover. I opened it and all of our love letters were bound from the time we spent apart while he studied abroad in Germany. I was speechless and yes, did the girly happiness tear cry.

 

Buying presents for loved ones is difficult. You want them to know how much you love them. The best way to do that is not to follow a mass-produced guideline. Instead, you should just listen and observe.

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Angry Customer: Only Way to Get What You Need it Seems

Jennifer A

November 13, 2011 - 9:45 AM

Companies make mistakes. It's a fact. People run businesses and humans are far from perfect. Most errors are forgivable and somewhat easily fixed. This summer I have been living in a city by myself and have had a few mix-ups by companies. My father taught me that no matter what the situation is, there is no excuse to be rude. So when I approached some customer service representatives I have tried to be as professional and nice as I possibly could be. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

 

Let me focus on one example of an online transaction I had. (I am not going to reveal the company.) This website was offering a one month free trial membership. I signed on, decided it wasn't for me, and before my month was over I called the customer service hotline to cancel like I was supposed to. 17 minutes later, no answer. I called again the next day on my lunch break and once more, did not talk to a person. I emailed their help desk and they replied to cancel my account I had to call the hotline. I tried a third time and what do you know no answer! Before I knew it the month was over and my account was charged over $30. I finally had to write a not-so-nice email explaining my frustration and in two hours I received an apology, canceled account and my money was being sent back to my bank. I was pleased yes, but confused. Why did it take me being irate to get what I wanted?

 

In general, I am not a person who gets angry. I don't like to get in arguments with strangers. Yet it seems respectable customers are incapable of having a wrong righted. Why? Is it because unsatisfied customers who don't throw a fit will stay with your business? Wrong. Companies seem to promote bad behavior because of their business model. If you are perpetually only providing helpful service to rude customers, you are creating rude customers. Not only is this bad PR but, this attitude makes customer service jobs undesirable and incredibly difficult. Why do you think workers at a lost baggage department at an airport have some of the highest suicide rates? Because customers have been trained to be mean to get what they want. Yes, people should rise above and present themselves in a professional and classy way at all times. However, sometimes you just need your mistake fixed. How do you do that? Complain rudely and loudly enough until you get it.

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