New media and visual culture.

New media and visual culture.

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Notes.
* The way we read has changed because of hypertext. Links to another page paves the way for controlled reading - not linear.
* Images themselves are read alongside text.
* The audience don't have much chance to change anything, mass media is in control.
Eg. Big Brother gives you to chance to vote and be in control when in reality the company behind big brother is in total control.
A false sense of control.
* Related to drug use because people will want more of what is popular.
* Mass media is seen as positive as it can boost the attention of deserved people or companies.
* It promotes creativity as people want to push the boundaries of modern society.
* Benetton used the mass media to establish a dialogue with consumers

Above - David Kirby. Benetton ad.
Benetton were known for their controversial ad campaigns and people struggled to see what relevance the photos have to their clothing.
In this photo, David Kirby an aids sufferer is surrounded by anguished family members as he took his last breaths. A very strong point in this photo is how thin David is (His body weathered away by AIDS) in comparison to his overweight family members. This truly shows the devastating effects of the disease.   Another thing is David's striking resemblance to Jesus Christ dying in his mother's arms. The photo was not taken for the ad campaign but was an actual agency photo, the kind of photo used for conveying the news, photos that showed the real world. As mentioned previously people struggle to see the relevance of the photo to their products. The photo falls within the conventions of information. I think what benetton was doing was taking advantage of how powerful the advertising industry is and using it as a vehicle to establish a dialogue with consumers that focuses on something other than the company's products.