My Media Reflections

Welcome back! In this blog post, I will be giving out my comments and thoughts on media platforms that I have experienced. I will try my best to be spoiler-free on some of the topics in case you might want to try them out, so please don’t angrily come at me if you get spoiled. I tried, okay? I tried. Anyway, enjoy reading and I hope you learn something helpful in this blog post!

Books

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

Gone Girl is about a couple about to celebrate their anniversary when suddenly, the wife disappears.

Comments about the story?

The story of this book is very interesting since it is not your basic crime fiction book. It is unpredictable in a lot of ways; once you think the situation is bad enough, it gets even worse. The story is seen in the eyes of both the husband and the wife, Nick and Amy Dunne, which makes for an interesting narration. The details are revealed little by little, making you wanting more at the end of each chapter.

Comments about the characters?

I can’t really say that I can relate to the characters since I have never been married before, but there were times that I felt really sympathetic to Nick Dunne because of how everything just felt really overwhelming to him. As for Amy, I really don’t know how to react to her since the climax of the story was not just very shocking for me, but smart, as well.

Comments about the author?

I have read another one of Gillian Flynn’s books, which is Sharp Objects. Reading this, I can tell that she is good at making unexpected plot lines and does her best to get her facts right when writing. One thing, though, that I dislike about her style is that she adds unnecessary, explicit details sometimes. For me, I think it’s avoidable and the story can go on without the details.

Comments about our friends’ reaction to the book?

When I asked one of my friends about this book, she thought that it was very explicit—in which I agree. Strongly.

Comments about the story’s message?

After reading the book, I found the message unclear. I’m not sure if it’s really the writer’s fault, but maybe it was because I did not really pay as much attention as I should have to the story. Even if the message was vague to me, I know that the message is a dark and haunting one, knowing Gillian Flynn and her books.

Comments about the book’s price?

After reading the book, I can say that the book deserves it price. Everything about it is just well-done so it deserves to have a well-done price, as well.

Here’s the trailer for the movie adaptation of this book (starring Ben Affleck):

Magazines

K-Zone

Comments about the models?

This magazine featured things that were famous in the kid’s pop culture, such as cartoons, books, anime, video games, and toys. The magazine always talked about what was in and never fell behind on trends that circulated the average kid’s lifestyle.

Comments about the design and layout?

The design was very open-minded and modern, which is perfect for readers in the young child to pre-teen age group. The elements of the layout were well-placed that all the text could be read and the pictures made sense of what was happening in the section.

Comments about the ads?

The ads were very subtle and attractive. The editors placed the ads in a way that you would not think of it as an ad, but rather just a part of the magazine .

Comments about the pictures?

The pictures were easily understood, as most featured cartoons, video games, and toys. The editors made the most of their pictures and they were very helpful in guiding the reader about the topic.

Comments about the themes of the magazine?

The magazine had various themes and segments, from jokes to scary stories, from featured drawings to new technology. I think the segments are great to inform the reader on what is happening around the world, not just in the kid’s point of view, but also in the adult’s point of view. All of the sections were positive and gave the reader information that is relevant today.

Comments about the magazine’s price?

I think the magazine is very affordable for kids. It is not too expensive and actually cheap for a magazine. What you get is probably even more than what you pay for.

Radio

99.5 PlayFM

I don’t really listen to the radio that much, but when I do, I listen to PlayFM, 99.5

Comments on the program?

The program that I listened to is “The Home Run”. Majority of the show played funky pop songs and had games with the listeners in between, which made it even more interesting. They also gave interesting facts which are very relevant today. I think that it is very important because it makes the listeners not only entertained, but also informed and more aware of what is happening around them.

Comments on the commercials?

The number of commercials was just right, and did not leave the audience bored. Aside from that, there’s really nothing that I can think of.

Comments on the DJs?

I think they were very “millennial” and relatable. They spoke with the right amount of energy and did not sound annoying. They were funny at times, making the show entertaining. For me, they are good in what they do.

Comments about what the DJ is saying?

The DJs in the show always acted in a positive manner and only promoted good vibes. For me, their message is very positive and relaxing. They stuck with their program’s message, which is a good thing.

Comments about what the program is saying?

I like how the program is supposed help the listener de-stress on the way home and enjoy the time. This is good since everyone knows how hectic work/school is, and they want to help the listeners for good.

Comments about the time you listened?

I listened to the program during 6:00 pm, which I think is the perfect time to have people from work/school as their target audience. It is very effective since people during this time either want to relax or have a fun time to just forget about their work/school, for the moment. 

Music

“And I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

I chose this song because it is just a classic and almost everyone knows this song. At least the chorus.

Listen to the song, again, and again, and again, and again:

Comments about the singer?

Whitney Houston is an excellent singer. No need to elaborate on that.

Comments about the song?

I think that the song is very powerful because of how it was sung. The instrumental adds to its effect and message because it complements the vocals very well.

Comments about the lyrics?

The lyrics are well-written and framed in a positive way. I like this because songs these days are written either in a careless or furious way. The song stands out even until this day not only because of the singer of this song, but also because of its lyrics.

Check out the lyrics

Comments about the song’s message?

The message that I got from this song is that sometimes, you have to let go from the person you love because happy endings don’t happen all the time and not everyone is the right person for you. There would be times when letting go is the best option because you tend to be a distraction/hindrance from that person and going away is the only way to fix it.

Comments on where and how you got the song?

This song is very famous in and out of the internet. People also play the song in radio and TV stations. There’s no way one would not hear this song at least once.

Comments on where you play your song?

Just like most people, I play this song in YouTube because this is where I listen to my other songs, as well.

TV shows

“The Good Place” starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson

This show follows Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who was supposed to go to the “Bad Place”, accidentally being sent to the “Good Place”, a utopian-kind-of neighborhood where the “good” people go when they die.

Here’s a trailer of the show:

Comments on the TV show’s story?

I find the show’s plot very unique because of how it focuses on the moral side of things while still staying funny and understandable. The jokes in the show are wholesome, which is another reason why I like it.

Comments on the characters?

The show’s characters have different personalities with different backgrounds which make them interesting and intriguing. Throughout the show, they get to know a little more of each other, just like in real life, and learn to deal with each other in a peaceful way. I find this very appealing because it is far different from what happens in most American TV series, where the conflict is always just so deep.

Comments on the timeslot?

The timeslot of this show is during night, around 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. It think this is perfect because in this time, people want to relax and have a good laugh after work/school.

Comments on the commercial breaks?

The commercial breaks are reasonable. They are not too long, and not too short.

Comments on the commercials?

Most of the commercials are promotions of the other shows from the channel, which I think is good. This shows that the channel focus more on making their audience happy rather than making money. Aside from advertisements, the commercials show brief interviews from fashion bloggers and personalities, and also the coverage of different events, such as product and movie releases.

Comments on the channel?

The channel in which I watched “The Good Place” is from ETC. I like this channel because they broadcast foreign TV shows without cable. 

Movies

“The Greatest Showman” starring Hugh Jackman

The Greatest Showman is about a man and his journey into making the greatest circus that has ever existed. 

Comments on the story?

I did not find the story predictable, and it was never boring. It was very good and very inspiring.

Comments on how it was made?

Honestly, I haven’t seen any videos on the production on this movie, but my friends always talk about it. Based from what they say and the movie, I can tell that they really worked hard on it, from the CGI to the choreography, from the songs to the cinematography.

Comments on the characters?

The whole movie had a wide variety of characters with somehow similar experiences. For the people who were with P.T. Barnum, the main protagonist of the movie, I thought that they were very important to the protagonist’s development as a person, both positively and negatively. As for the people in the circus, they related well to each other and showed compassion for each other. The diversity shown in the movie made the story more relatable and gave the audience more interest in what is to come.

Comments on the lessons you get from the story?

The lesson that I got from the story is that you have to value family first than everything. I like the message conveyed because it is very relevant in today’s society.

Comments on the price of the tickets?

The price of the tickets were all right compared to the movie’s quality. Price = movie.

Comments on how and where you watched the film?

I watched the movie in a movie theater in a mall. It was not the worst and not the best, either. The seats were comfortable and the place is well-designed for attentive watching.

Watch the trailer: 

Well, that's all for now. Until we meet again!