Movie Reflection: "Thank You for Smoking"

 "Thank You for Smoking" presents an interesting insight into the world of vice advertising, both the positives and the negatives. There is a great amount of money to be made, that cannot be denied. And in essence, all you're really doing as the advertiser is letting the people know they have the option to use your product, right?

I would argue that there is more to it than that!

To most of us, it is entirely obvious that cigarettes are harmful to your lungs or that alcohol degrades your liver. But just because those are facts that are known broadly across society to be true does not mean that there aren't people who don't know that information! 

The film does an excellent job of making the audience root for the protagonist, despite also making it quite clear that the product he is selling kills many, many people. I commend the filmmakers for their skill, but I also scorn them for continuing to influence people to ignore the dangers of addictive products!

By making an audience sympathetic for a major vice advertiser, you encourage them to forgive some of the detriments of the product, even if they are explicitly mentioned in the same film. 

Essentially, the film functions as a vice advertisement itself, using the same tactics to manipulate the audience that Nick Naylor uses throughout the movie. It's genius! And absurdly unethical!!

Don't misunderstand me, however, as I do actually agree with the final argument that is made in the film. People should have the right to choose to consume products, even if they know they are harmful to themselves. 

But that absolutely does not give a pass to advertisers to ignore the dangers of the products they sell, in fact I believe that the negative effects of a product should be just a prominently marketed as the benefits!

That belief doesn't come from a place of ignorance on my end, it comes from my understanding of ignorance in others. Multitudes of people do not have the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision about using addictive products. 

And advertisements are proven to have an incredible amount of power of the decisions that people make, especially those that have less access to enlighten themselves.

Nothing could convince me to agree with the sentiments in the film or to participate in vice advertising myself, not as it exists now. Because I firmly feel that if advertisements of harmful products cannot fully encompass the benefits and detriments of the product, in a way that everyone can truly comprehend, then they aren't advertisements at all... 

They're misguidance, manipulation, and murderous!!

EOTO: Motion Pictures

 

The history and impact of motion pictures are difficult to define for certain, as there are many conflicting accounts of who actually invented something first and what exactly the consequences of that invention were. However, through a number of sources, like this article from Britannica, I have landed on my personal concensus on the matter.

In 1891, Thomas Edison is credited with the creation of the kinetoscope, which is considered the first real motion picture camera. His interest in creating such a device came as a result of Eadward Muybridge, or rather Edison's refusal to partner with Muybridge to make said device. 

However, it was not actually Thomas Edison who worked on inventing the kinetoscope! It was one of his laboratory assistants at the time, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson. Dickson spent several years working on developing the kinetoscope on the behalf of Edison, but Edison is touted as the inventor merely because he was the one who owned the rights to it, since it was created in his lab.

Regardless, the kinetoscope was released to the public and it started to change the world of motion pictures. This was thanks to the fact that the kinetoscope not only could capture motion pictures, but could play them back for someone to watch! As such, kinetoscopes began appearing across the country, where anyone could pay a coin to watch a film through the peep hole on the device.

(Although some of Edison's films were distasteful to the public and resulted in the first batch of censorship for the new medium.)

While this achievement is certainly notable in the history of motion pictures, it is just the beginning of what created film as we know it today! Four years after the unveiling of the kinetoscope, in 1895, the Lumiere Brothers created the Cinematographe. Which is considered to be the first real projector for motion pictures.

Edison believed that devoloping a device that could project film for a large audience to view at once would ultimately cost him money in the long run, so he abandoned any investment in doing so. Unfortunately for him, the Lumiere Brothers seized this opportunity and it changed the world of motion pictures once again!

With a reliable way to play motion pictures for a large audience, instead of one at a time, the art form began to boom! People would fill every seat in the audience to watch a film together, further increasing the popularity of motion pictures. But not only did it create a boom in the consumer market, it also pushed other inventors to get back into the game and improve upon the technology further. 

From that point onward a series of devices were created, ultimately leading us to the equipment we know today. Not only that, but so began the era of film, wherein culture was en
tirely reshaped to include going to the movies. And while the positives of that cultural shift are undeniable, the negatives cannot be dismissed either, as large audience could now be influenced to think or feel a certain way on a wider scale than ever before!

In the end though, I must say, I am incredibly grateful for the existence of motion pictures, and I feel that most would agree with that sentiment. Wouldn't you?

The Impact of AI on Acting

"Wow! Just look at that actress, she must really be popular with all that paparazzi around!" If you thought something along those lines when looking at this picture, you're in for quite the shock. This woman isn't even a real person!

Tilly Norwood, the woman in the picture above, is an entirely AI generated actress!

There are countless concerns about Tilly Norwood's existence, from the worry that AI will replace real-life actors entirely to legal questions about her creation and future appearances in film. 

While there are some who commend the ingenuity and technical advancements that were necessary for her creation, society's hesitations greatly outweigh its hopes. 

Personally, I find Tilly Norwood utterly terrifying in many different ways. Not only does she threaten the profession of acting as a whole, but she presents the first taste of entire personalities being AI generated. When does an AI person, not modeled on anyone specifically, become an actual person? When do they deserve autonomy? 

The questions and concerns are endless!

All in all, the advancements in AI technology have begun to creep beyond threatening jobs consistent of pattern-based labor to threatening even creative professions. One day actors could be a thing of the past, replaced by AI talent. Perhaps even the writers, directors, and the entire creative team could be taken over by AI!

Could this be the beginning of the death of artistry? All for the sake of the progress of innovation...

Online Privacy

There are countless videos addressing the topic of privacy, but some of the best are TED Talks, like the ones found here. And they cover vital concerns about privacy in the modern day. 

From physical surveillance to targeted advertising to digital blackmail, there are many things to be cognizant of in regard to personal privacy. None of which should be taken lightly or ignored, as each and every one will undoubtedly have direct impacts on each of our lives.

Here are some important things to keep in mind!

#1) Facial Recognition & Surveillance

Facial recognition is a rapidly growing aspect of the digital world we live in. Phones and other devices have the ability to recognize and store facial information with incredible accuracy.

While this can be used for good, such as a protective measure for accessing sensitive information, it can also be used negatively. Facial recognition presents a unique threat to privacy, as there is little stopping private entities or even the government from getting their hands on facial recognition data.

Surveillance cameras can now be equipped with facial recognition software as well, along with several other features that can track aspects of an individual's life like never before. Where and when you drive your care, the stores you've gone into, if you walk across the street where you're not supposed to, and so much more.

Naturally this presents a great opportunity to really crack down on crime and other unfortunate aspects of society. However, it also severely threatens people's privacy and could easily give far too much personal information to anyone willing to work to find it.

#2) Personalized Marketing & Third-Party Data

Essentially anything and everything you do online is tracked, stored, then used to personalize your online experience. This is especially true in regard to advertising, wherein whatever you look up or digest online is used to market things tailored to you.

This is a truly double-edged sword, as it allows for both companies and consumers to have an easier time fulfilling their desires. Companies only have to pay to advertise to people who actually want their products and consumers only get advertisements for products they actually want.

That being said, in order to achieve this personalized marketing, your data must be acquired by one source and sold to another. All of the data about your online activity is constantly being sold to third-party entities so that advertisements and more can be personalized to you.

Unfortunately, there is little to stop that same data from being sold to third-parties that have dark intentions as well.

#3) Digital Footprint

At the epitome of concern when it comes to privacy, especially online privacy, is the concept of an individual's digital footprint. Whatever you say or do online is stored somewhere, forever, and can be used against you by anybody who wishes to look deep enough into that digital footprint. 

Whether it be internet scammers or a stalker or even the government, the information that you've chosen to indulge in or put online, no matter how long ago it was, could be dredged up at any time. That's why it is beyond crucial that everyone takes extra care in their online activities, as they are heavily monitored at all times, and that information can never truly be expunged. 

So, in our modern digital world, it is of undeniable importance that every person becomes aware and knowledgeable of the technology that is arising every day. Everyone must learn about the dangers and the benefits alike.

Then it becomes the responsibility of those who are informed to inform others. It becomes our responsibility to protect ourselves and those around us. But above all, it becomes our responsibility to speak up for our privacy, lest it is stolen from underneath us before we even realize it's gone.

Eight Values of Free Expression

There are eight core values that make up the value of free expression. Particularly in terms of the freedom of expression given to Americans via the First Amendment, there is one of these core values that stands at the pinnacle of importance. The right to individual self-fulfillment/self-actualization, or more simply put, the right to be yourself.

Despite the vital importance of the other seven values, this right specifically is the fundamental basis for the other values to even exist. Before you can participate in self-government or promote tolerance or put checks on governmental power, you must first be allowed to have your own beliefs and convictions. 

Were the right to that self-identity stripped away, the other values would surely follow. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that the freedom of self-fulfillment never be tampered with, lest we lose the right to freedom at all. 

So what can you do to ensure that you keep the right to be yourself?

Step 1) Don't Be Afraid!

Regardless of any attempts to pressure you into thinking otherwise, the government does not have the ability to suppress your right to self-identity. While they can punish certain instances of speech that are deemed harmful, they cannot do anything to punish you for expressing yourself in the way that you choose to.

So, don't let the threat of retaliation deter you from speaking and believing the way you choose to. It's your life and your right to do so!

Step 2) Raise Your Voice!

Once you're confident enough to speak and believe the way you choose, it is vital that you use that confidence to speak out. Say what you believe and use your freedoms to defend it.

Your voice is a deceivingly powerful tool, one that the government has very little control over, so use it to its fullest extent. Use your voice to fight for what you believe in!

Step 3) Defend Your Community!

After you conquer your fear and use your voice for to defend your own beliefs, it becomes important to use your voice to defend the right of others to do the same. Some won't be able to overcome their fears as easily as others, so you must do what you can to ensure their voices are heard regardless.

Many voices are stronger than one alone!

My Top 5 News Sources

 

Following the news is a fundamental aspect of any adult's life in the modern world, especially in the United States of America. With the undeniable importance of what the news provides, from local updates to international events, there will always be something in the news that will directly impact your own life. Despite the ease of access to the news we are privileged to have today, many people do not take full advantage of those resources. I am no exception to that. However, the following are the top five ways I receive the news in my daily life. 

#1) Google

To the best of my ability, I attempt to keep up with the news every day via the use of Google. Looking up current events will always give a slew of results about practically everything happening in the world at the time. It's incredibly simple to operate and gives you the capabilities you need to look through a slew of different resources, so that you can make your own informed opinion on any given topic. It's by in far the most user friendly and multifunctional resource there is to enlighten yourself. 

#2) Friends & Family

While friends and family cannot provide an unbiased source of information, I only surround myself with people that I trust to give me their honest opinion on something they've informed themselves upon. As such, I love talking with the people in my life about the news. Regardless of the subject and whether or not I know much about it, I can be confident that the conversation will enlighten me on the subject through the lens of someone intelligent, no matter if I agree or disagree with their take-aways. Therefore, I receive a sizeable dose of my news from the people in my life that I love and trust, not from just anybody that I know.

#3) Instagram

Instagram provides me news in two distinct ways. One is through the ability to communicate with people I trust, but that I no longer can talk to in person. The other is through posts on accounts that have proven themselves as reliable sources of information. Naturally there is no way to confirm that posts on Instagram are trustworthy in the news that they provide, but by doing your due diligence on the information they've been uploading previously, you can be reasonably comfortable believing the news they continue to provide. As such, any news I see on Instragram that pertains to me or peaks my interest, I will always fact check elsewhere.

#4) YouTube

The amount of news related content on YouTube is absolutely endless. Not only do prominent news companies upload their own content onto YouTube, but droves of knowledgeable individuals do as well. News stories get put on YouTube almost as quickly as they do in the actual spheres they're created for. Similarly to Instagram, it is always worthwhile to fact check news from YouTube elsewhere to confirm its accuracy, but for finding more information on things it is utterly indispensable, thus I constantly find myself using it to find new information.

#5) TikTok

There is an element of shame I feel for using TikTok to get my news, but in reality it functions the same way as several of the other sources on this list. Information is uploaded almost instantaneously to TikTok on just about everything you can think of. However, it is significantly less trustworthy when it comes to providing real or accurate information. That being said, I have gotten my initial introduction to plenty of news stories via TikTok and researched them more from there. It's not perfect, but it is functional.