Still Addicted

Even as the semester is coming to an end, I find myself still addicted to the media. I am officially hooked on it for life. It is my drug and my anti-drug. It gives me a high, but at the same time, it gives me a reason to not need a rush. There is no cure for what I have. No rehab, no nothing, and yet it is my rehab, my cure.

Still, I'd like to think of myself as a more critical consumer now. I notice and question even more things in the media now. For example, what ads air in the same timeslot as the television shows I watch? Why? I never noticed the short timespam that these ads air and then, suddenly stop. I never really paid attention to the ads on the sides of a webpage. I never heard of Technorati or Digg before this class. So, one could say that I became way more aware of the art of blogging as well.

I managed to learn all sorts of things about all sorts of issues from reading my classmates' blogs. I also learned how to write a good movie review. Hopefully, the movie studios will shell out more good movies for me to watch. In addition, I've become more exposed to websites based on foreign countries. Consider my horizons broadened.

PriMadonna

I had a bout of insomnia last night so I decided to turn on the television. Surprise, surprise! Oprah was on. It looked semi-interesting since Madonna was on albeit via satellite. This made me realize that it's not just serialized television shows that are in danger of extinction due to the latest technology. Even talk shows and award ceremonies have to watch their backs now. More and more celebrities are relying on satellites and web cameras thus, making less and less live appearances. Then again, the new technology could work to their advantage since they can interview celebrities and have them present or accept awards even if they're on foreign soil.

Going back to Madonna, she was talking about her Malawi adoption of a boy named David. At first, David's biological father gave his consent to the singer, thanking her. Then, he recanted saying he didn't realize that giving his son up for adoption meant that he'd never see David again. Some say Madonna shouldn't be surprised at the slow rate this is going. For one thing, the language of Malawi doesn't have a term for "adoption." Let alone established laws on the matter.

Although there's nothing fresh about this issue, what I found new was Madonna's slant on it. She blames the media for all this. She claims that they're the reason why David's father took back his consent. She says that anyone who lives a simple life and is suddenly thrust into the spotlight by the harassing media is bound to cave. Madonna states that her anger is fueled even more because by doing this, the media is discouraging other people to adopt. No one wants to go through the same difficulties she did and that means less children are coming out of Africa to lead better lives.

Although I see her point, I think that most people have their ideas made up about adoption. Either they plan to do so or they don't. Those who are seriously considering it already know that the adoption process is long and difficult whether it's here or abroad. They don't need the press to tell them that. In fact, it's the media that spreads the news about all these celebrities adopting in the first place. Without them, people wouldn't be encouraged further to adopt children from third world countries.