The Powerful Media-Media Meditation #3

Welcome back devoted followers to what I hope is your favorite of the month: my monthly media musing! This month I thought I would talk about the most powerful media in the world: advertising, and more specifically, commercials. I know you know what I am referring to, those (sometimes) annoying things during television shows. Well they are more useful than we realize. Those annoying commercials help pay for our favorite shows to be aired on TV and stay on TV. And not all of them are annoying, some of them are adorable, like this one:



Now isn't that kitten just adorable? I certainly think it is, but not all commercials have cute fuzzy animals to tug on the heart strings. Some commercials just don't work at all, like this one:



Now I don't know what you guys think, but personally I think this is a poor commercial. If you remember from my very first post, I am studying marketing/advertising at college, and thusly getting to know commercials intimately. I will be a master at what works and what doesn't by the time I graduate, that is for sure, but that is not why this commercial does not work for me. For one thing, I, personally, have no idea who Raquel Welch is, and neither do many people that I know, so using her to market her glasses is not as affective as it should be. Second, the commercial is direct (which is good), but exceedingly boring. Many people today have an exceedingly short attention span, so commercials have to be catchy for someone like me to pay attention. That is why I think this commercial is a dud. But I do think the you, my devoted followers, have an opinion so if you disagree with me let me know, I would love your honest opinion about what you think of the Raquel Welch commercial.

If you will notice though, as you are reading the rest of this post, you might still be thinking about that adorable kitten, or the boring Raquel Welch, and that, my friend, is why commercials are so powerful. They have one purpose, not to sell you something (which most of them try to do), but to be memorable. If a commercial is memorable then it will spread like wildfire. The second I saw that Fancy Feast commercial, I showed/told everyone that would listen. I was in love with that kitten, and more importantly, I was in love with the way the man proposed. I will admit, I am a hopeless romantic and am always thinking of creative ways a guy could propose. But that commercial was meant to advertise the new kitten fancy feast meal.

Image courtesy of Google Images

Now I bet you didn't realize that, which is totally okay. I didn't realize it was for kitten food at first either. But now that I am thinking about it, it makes total sense.

After all this, I still have a mission for you, next time you are watching TV or fiddling around on YouTube, pay more attention to the commercials, or search commercials. You never know, you just might find that hidden gem among all the other advertising.

Until next time,
Your resident geek.

That Addictive Medium-Media Meditation #2

Hello there, remember my last post? Well, as hinted at, my devoted readers, you are getting a BONUS blog post this month! How exciting! So I bet you are curious what I ended up baking. The winner was...Black and White Cookies!

Image courtesy of Google Images

In my opinion they were good, not great. The cake was too cakey, but the icing was just right. But I suggest trying out the recipe for yourself, cause they are definitely a blast to make. Why not make green icing in honors of the upcoming St. Patty's Day? Or not, it's only a suggestion.

Anyways, I decided to change things up a bit today, and dedicate this post to my friends, and their favorite form of media: the video game. If you have been following along since the creation of this blog, you have noticed that I love a form of media that involves paper, and one that I can hold in my hand. But I well admit that I love video games too. It is definitely a good way to pass the time when feeling antsy. In particular though, my friends have been playing one game nonstop: Pokemon. Cause what just came out? Well none other than Pokemon black and white.

Image courtesy of Google Images

Well apparently I am not as cool as them, because I have yet to purchase the newest Pokemon game. But I do enjoy playing it. I remember as a kid, collecting the cards, playing the games, and trading. It was beyond fun. I loved it. I still become nostalgic for my Game Boy Color (yea, I am that old), and my Pokemon Red game cartridge. I can hear the music now...



Man, does that bring back memories. But they are great games. I personally loved the adventures I was taken on, the Pokemon that I met. And then playing with friends, well that was a given. I can even remember watching the TV show when I was little...

Episode one: Part one

I must admit, I still watch the show on Cartoon Network once in a blue moon, just to relive my childhood. It is an addictive form of media, and I love every second of it. If you have never checked out the Pokemon franchise, I highly suggest it, you have no idea the fun you are missing. It just goes to show you that you are never to old for Pokemon, or video games for that matter.

Until next time,
Your Resident Geek

That Timeless Read...And Some Fine Cooking

Welcome back! It is that time of the month again, and it happens to men and women, you know what I am talking about: my monthly musing! So how do you feel about magazines? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Well there are over 2300 magazines being published that you could read, so there is definitely one that fits your reading, or skimming, criteria. Magazines can actually be considered calming. They first appeal to the limbic part of your brain (that is the part that processes images and music) with a friendly image on the cover and colorful text:

Courtesy of Google Images

Now doesn't that picture of a cat just pop? But the image could also stir up other emotions (the limbic brain is also referred to as the emotional brain), like hunger. And yes, I consider hunger an emotion. At the same time the limbic brain is being accessed, the neocortex is also in use (that is the part of the brain that processes words). So you will notice the image on the cover, but you will notice the words as well. So I will see a cooking magazine, and feel calm, hungry, and ecstatic, but I will also be reading what recipes are inside, and this is happening all at once. My favorite one is Fine Cooking. I read it like my life depends on it. It is my bible. I guarantee you have seen one of these covers on newsstands before:

Fine Cooking cover found through Google Images

Well that is an issue from last spring, but the beauty of cooking magazines is they are always relevant. I use Fine Cookings from way back when, before I was born, and the recipes are just as delicious as they would have been on their publication month. I have the actual magazine, multiple months worth, sitting next to me from the year 2007, and every recipe is just as exciting each time I reread it. And yes you could read Food & Wine, or any other cooking magazine being published, but it just isn't the same. Fine Cooking is one of a kind, even it's publisher, and owner Tauton Press is unique. They only publish magazines with the word fine in it, and that has to be saying something. But it is more the quality of the magazine, that puts me in awe. I have read my fair share of cooking magazines, but none as complete as my Bible. It starts out with a few articles on different appliances, the pros and cons of the high end brands and the less expensive brands, then it has some recipes, but at the end is detailed instructions on how-to do certain things within each issue. Last year I got an issue that included paella. And in the back of the issue there were instructions on buying a paella pan, and caring for it. That is why I love this magazine, I have never seen such a complete how-to section ever before in any type of magazine I have ever read. The website even has a how-to section for anything you need help with! Say you want to make a layer cake, but you don't know how to assemble it, well you could watch this lovely video and make the most beautiful layer cake around:

courtesy of Fine Cooking's How-To section

I have recently discovered the convergence of multiple media platforms on the website. The website is accessible because of Web 2.0, and it has everything I could ever need. There is a Cooks Talk section, which consists of blogs, and forums, and even some games. There is a Create Your Own Link which allows you to chose the ingredients you want to use, and then it creates the recipe for you! There is even a box on the homepage if you want to subscribe and aid our consumerism world. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

But what I love about Fine Cooking is the variety of recipes. And certain recipes always play on your emotions and transfer you to a happy memory associated with something like Chicken Pot Pie. I think of chicken pot pie and I think of sitting with my mom watching TV and being so relaxed after a chicken pot pie lunch. Food to me is a symbol of happiness, of family, of silliness, and I believe it is for most of you reading this blog. Food brings people together, it makes you feel nostalgic, good food can even divert from a messy kitchen, but only for so long. And that is why Fine Cooking is my Bible, because there is always a new recipe for me to try. Each issue of Fine Cooking is a new opportunities to make new memories. And yet that seems to leave me in a bit of a conundrum because I want to cook, or bake, or eat everything at once. For instance, this Sunday I will be making dessert for a small gathering, but there are so many things to choose from, so you tell me, dedicated reader's, should I make Homemade Oreo Cookies, Banana Split Brownies, Black and White Cookies, or something of one of your suggestions? Feel free to browse the dessert section and give me your vote. Who knows, you might even get a bonus blog post out of me this month talking about your choice!

I hope you learned that magazines are timeless and amazing. I hope I have persuaded you to fall in love with Fine Cooking. I also can't wait to see what you guys pick for me to bake on Sunday. So enjoy your magazines and other media related experiences!

Until next time,
Your resident geek