Monday, September 28, 2009

Best TV show? hands down. Seinfeld

Why?
The show is genius because theres never been another like it, honestly. Its a show about nothing, yet everything. Its about life's daily occurrences along with things that people all think, and feel, but the characters actually do. There will never be a TV show similar to Seinfeld, holding up strong for 9 seasons and the collaboration of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld made this TV show so special. The timing of its era on television also makes it quintessential to its surroundings and timing of the late 80's and 90's. Now Larry David has his own show called Curb Your Enthusiasm, which currently is in its new season, and Larry David pretty much is the same character of George Costanza. Hopefully, I don't need to let you know who George Costanza is, because if you have never seen a Seinfeld episode, you are in the dark.
If you get a character breakdown on this show - the personalities are all perfect for the setting of a show about nothing, with nothing but bottomless relationships, George always getting screwed, Elaine always struggling with relationships, Jerry who the main man with a witty mind and then crazy Kramer. Kramer was actually a character that Larry David lived next in an apartment complex. ( seinfeld trivia for you )
The way the whole show was put together was a masterpiece in itself. From the opening conversation in the very first episode about the top button of a button up shirt and it's non-importance when you're not wearing a tie is the same conversation they have in the last episode sitting in a jail cell for all the petty crimes they committed throughout the years. (theres a little more Seinfeld trivia for you)
There will not be another show similar to Seinfeld for many years to come, if at all. Because they only make one Larry David and one Jerry Seinfeld.

This weekend, the whole Seinfeld cast will appear on Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO at 9 p.m.


PRCA #3330

great topic class.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Obama's case for health care reform - good or bad?

When it comes to the new health care reform, I believe we are taking the right steps. Obama's administration is doing a good job with the tactics lined up for his reform. Personally, I have health insurance, and this reform is supposedly to give those with health insurance more stability and more security. However, I have heard those who don't have health care will be receiving it out of our pockets. I know that not everyone can afford health care, but I believe they should make some kind of law that if you make over a certain amount of money per year, it should be mandatory. Our country will always, have people who can't afford health care. Just like car insurance, if you can have a car, you should have health insurance. However, there are a lot of people who don't believe they need health care when they certainly need it. I don't want to cover someone's emergency room bill that could afford it, when they opted not to. You never know what is going to happen from moment to moment. Therefore I am all about his health care reform, however, I do realize that some people cannot afford, and I am willing to pay out of my pocket for their expenses.

#PRCA 3330

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Seeing Store Shelves Through Senior Eyes

What makes this news story that was in The Wall Street Journal on 9/14/09 so newsworthy?

This article talks about seniors and their ability to go shopping and what restraints they go through when shopping. As I read this article I realized its importance in a few different ways. The glove simulates an old person who could possibly have arthritis attempting to pick something off of the shelf, along with the glasses he is wearing to represent impaired vision.
By the time we are in the year 2011, baby boomers, who take up 20% of our consumer buying will be 65. They are expected to spend over $50 billion over the next decade on consumer products nit he US. Old people are not going to buy something if they cannot see it. therefore measures are being taken by Rite-Aid and Walgreens amongst others to snsure that colors and lighting are used correctly to facilitate the elderly needs.
This article shows how important the elderly are in our environment. Larger printing ads for stores that elders often shop at such as Rite-Aid will inform them of better deals in their weekly coupon books. The significance of this article is based mostly on baby boomers and those who are already in their older ages, of 65 and above. Although this does not relate much to generate Y or X, if these actions are taken now to assist the elderly then we will have little to worry about when we hit that age. This news article shows how certain companies care about their consumers and how they are taking action in facilitating them. #PRCA 3330

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Let's talk about the legal issues of Public Relations

Public Relation writers as well as firms along with all other responsibilities have to watch what they say. Anything you say, create, or distribute can hold you to legal trouble. First I will talk about libel and defamation. According to the AP stylebook, "libel is injury to reputation. Words, pictures or cartoons that expose a person to a public hatred, shame, disgrace or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person are libelous. Today we refer to this as defamation. Which kind of reminds me of being a situationalist. There is a wide spectrum that can be considered defamation, it pretty much all comes down to that person knowing INTENNIONALY hurting someones, pride, hurt them monteraly, damage of reputation or suffering to name a few.
When in front or juries there comes 4 points that can be proved to be defamation to any party, including corporations. Truth has always been the traditional defense against libel charges however, opinions do have an effect on the outcome. Through the U.S. Constitution which protects freedom of speech brings up the concept of the fair comment privilege. The fair comment defends mainstream journalists, sometimes radio show hosts, mainstream journalists, and also, probably one of the most important, critical comments of organizational exec's.

When talking about defamation, you can't not have infringement and copyright come into the equation. Copyright by definition is the protection of creative work from unauthorized according to our text book. The US copyright law of 1978 says "copyright protection subsists, in the original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression now known or later developed." By authorship they are referring to literary works, musical works, dramatic works, motion pictures, pantomimes, pictorial and other graphic work. However, a copyright does not protect ideas, but how the ideas are expressed. For example, you can use a concept for a movie, but you couldn't express that particular idea with the same characters in the same text etc.... Copyrights protects material for 70 years and 95 years from publication rights held by corporations for example The Walt Disney Company. Copyright infringement is referred to the unauthorized use of material that is protected under the copyright law, which goes hand in hand with plagiarism.
Lastly, trademarks are another topic for discussion when it comes to these topics. A trademark is pretty much a word made up by a company or slogan of the same. For example "have it your way" which I am pretty sure is Burger King's slogan. Anyways, burger king or mcdonalds, I think we get the point. There are three basic guidelines for trademarks according to our book and those are, that trademarks are proper adjectives, and should be capitalized and followed by a generic noun or phrase. Trademarks should also no be pluralized or used in the possessive form. And lastly trademarks are never verbs. #prca3330

it's been fun, see ya next week, world.