The effects of MCOM 72: A change in Media Consumption

Within the past seven months, I've quit a nice paying job, kissed LA goodbye, been laid off and started a blog. The blog, not surprisingly, has been one of the highlights of my first semester at SJSU. I admit, I didn't expect much when I was enrolling for MCOM 72, or any of my other courses in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, however, that is no longer the case. With the blog and the guidance of some really terrific professors, I can say that the media I now consume is much more rich and substantial.


In September, I told you that I consumed Craigslist, Paula Deen's Home Cooking, Flaunt and stolen music - and all with food. Most of that still holds true, especially the food part. However, I can say that in addition to those listed, I am now a huge fan of gossip blogs. Thanks to Lilly, who directed me to Pink Is the New Blog, I have been feasting on the tastiest of celebrity dish. Spurred on to find others like it, I came across Go Fug Yourself, The Defamer and Jossip (all listed under "Chisme" in my blogroll - Spanish slang for gossip for you gringos).


In addition to blogs, I have also become an avid reader. This is in part to Mitch Berman, creative writing professor at SJSU. He introduced myself and about 15 other students to Neil Gaiman and since then, I've been devouring his books left and right. If you were one of the fortunate ones to hear Neil read in November then you know of the spell this man has cast upon us - he's just fucking brilliant, and rather attractive, I might add.

One of the things that has changed since that initial blog, is that I no longer steal music. That's right, Limewire is no-longer a part of my routine. After the class discussions we had on the music industry, I felt a bit dirty for ripping music, particularly, from musicians who probably make far less money than I do. To compensate for this, I've started an account with Rhapsody where I can stream music, on my desktop and throughout my house. I was initially skeptical that they would not have many of the musicians that I love - The Rentals, Figurine, Peaches, Antony and the Johnsons, and Kraftwerk. To my surprise, they do - and so much more! Well worth the $9.99/month.

Another change in my consumption occured with my viewing habits. I underestimated the amount of time I would need to put into going to a university - and like most college students, found myself constantly unable to watch my favorite shows. Thankfully, I am now a subscriber to TiVo, which has changed my viewing habits so that the television now revolves around my schedule - I never have to miss Medium or Project Runway now!

My subscription to Netflix has also changed my consumption of movies. Growing up in LA, you take for granted all the opportunities to watch some really great films. It wasn't until I moved to San Jose that I felt completely out of the loop. This is where Netflix has really helped out, because now, I can just log onto Netflix.com, and place movies in my que, even before they're released.

Since enrolling in MCOM 72, I am beginning to understand the media machine. It is much more than just TV, Film and Radio - New Media is rapidly changing the way that we recieve and process information, and this course is a perfect example of how it is doing just that. As far as continuing to blog - I'll be playing with a few ideas in the next few weeks as to the direction I would like to take it in.

At this time I'd like to point out two classmates whose blogs I have really enjoyed reading. First, Kelley Lugea. Her insights are always enlightening and her writing fresh, clear and concise. Secondly, Amir Masood. He's got a knack for wit, dry humor and has a clever approach to writing. I've had an opportunity to work with both of these individuals on group projects - they have what it takes and I encourage them and the rest of you to keep on pushing your talents - GO SJSU!