home of the brave.

The seemingly limitless power which the media wields is most potent and blatant in the form of its agenda-setting function. It is the media which dictates what issues should dominate our attention and consequentially, which topics we inadvertently ignore.

For example, in the early stages of America’s military crackdown in Afghanistan, news about the malicious and cruel nature of the Taliban regime and the atrocities which it was supposedly responsible for, dominated news headlines in the United States; however, in Afghanistan, where the Taliban monopolized control of the news media, televised speeches about the need to repel the American invaders (portrayed as enemies of Muslims) and the vicious nature of the invading troops were a feature. An inevitable result is the very different views of the situation which both populations were provided with; though it can be conceded that in this case, the majority of the Afghan people secretly haboured the desire for liberation from Taliban control. 

During the course of this particular conflict, I recall a particular incident where the United States airforce had unintentionally bombed an Afghan hospital where regular citizens resided. While the American news media did its best to play down this event and emphasized the intended compensatory fact that there were not many fatalities (short articles confined to discrete corners of the newspapers, briefly reported televised news reports etc.), the Taliban governement ensured the news media’s relentless focus on this event and condemnation of the perpetrators (Americans). Indeed, media gatekeepers (editors, producers etc.) who are responsible for agenda setting are influenced by social and political forces which surround them as well (Media hegemony is inevitably thrown into the mix).

In this way, the influence of the media certainly seems boundless; it possesses the potential ability to manipulate people’s mindsets and effectively influence their subsequent actions (products of their mentalities); the crux of the problem is that most people are often led along like pitiful hordes of blind mice, willingly devouring the set standards of what news is of primary importance and what matters are trivial (as dictated by gatekeepers). A recent development which has dominated the spotlight in the American press is that of New York governor Eliot Spitzer’s sex scandal involving a prostitution ring (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7293139.stm). International media heavyweights such as the BBC News service and CNN did much to garner attention on this matter, designating it as their cover story and ‘headliner’, and reported frequent updates on the matter. The result is a large global awareness of this incident and its implied importance. Now imagine if the international press had simply defined this matter as an issue deserved of moderate or little attention by publishing it as just another regular article; the level of awareness would definitely drop and the importance that people attribute to such an event would be compromised. Would a similar incident like this in some other country gain such widespread media coverage? Food for thought. Gatekeepers decide what is important and ensure the proclaimation of its importance.          

Therefore, there is a need to respond or take in the issues raised by the mass media with some sort of discernment and not ’swallow everything’ like a gullible fool. It is vital to be aware of the effects of media hegemony and the agenda-setting capabilities of the media (as dictated by its gatekeepers). Apathy in this area would allow the corruption of liberal minds.

With all this heavy material about communication theories and their ramifications, I think that it is important to acknowledge the greatest function of the media as a provider of entertainment. Truly, I would find life intolerably dull if not for the amusement provided by the mass media; additionally, recreational and leisure activities are a key feature of any given culture and thus, no study on culture should overlook the major role of entertainment through the media as a constituent of any given culture. For exmaple, while the Simpsons may cater to the amusement of millions in the United States, people from other cultures may derive pleasure from reviewing print media such as novels and newspapers.

Amidst certain controversial implications of the mass media such as media hegemony, I believe that it is important to be able to take a step back and appreciate the intrinsic entertainment value (function) of the products of the media.

Even advertisements, such as the one enclosed below, (Indian television commericial promoting a certain brand of chewing gum) aim to seize the attention of the reader by serving as a source of entertainment amidst delivering the vital ‘message’ they intend to transmit to the masses. In the case of the following commercial, the audience is ineveitably drawn into an amused fixation on the curious and light-hearted nature of the advertisement; the comical appearance of the actors, the cheerful tone of the background music and the script’s surprise element (where the barber pops the chewing gum into the patron’s mouth), are simultaneously highly amusing and attention grabbing (mutually enhancing factors). As it is, such a product (due to the entertaining and consequently memorable advertisement) will stay in the memories of audiences for a long time to come.

Comic strips (a personal old-school favorite of mine) also serve as sources of amusement; ranging from epics such as Marvel Comics to nonsensical light-hearted manifestations of basic deadpan humour such as the following comics from www.whiteninjacomics.com (a frequent haunt of mine).

Indeed, though it manifests differentially (in terms of medium) in different cultures, the concept of entertainment is one which transcends all cultural barriers (all people understand and desire entertainment); therefore, never has the need to kick back, relax and enjoy the entertaining contributions of the mass media (a definitive component of various cultures) been more heavily substantiated.       

What is Singaporean culture? Is it the uniquely cosmopolitan and collective societal fabric which the government frequently insists it is, or simply a confusing and disruptive fusion of global influences which we embrace without proper discernment.

While the facade of collectivism is conscientiously maintained in the name of racial harmony and economic progress, the social undercurrents of individualism are definitely asserting themselves gradually. This can be attributed to the increasing affluence of Singaporean society, which encourages an unhealthy desire for social exclusiveness and egocentric social apathy. Subsequently, people tend to elevate themselves on a pedestal to separate themselves from those who they deem as hailing from a lower economic class; seduced by the portrayed luxury of western cultures as put forth by the media, Singaporeans are seemingly caught up in the relentless drive for wealth, deeming it as the sole pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of a meaningful existence, selectively ignorant of the needs of other individuals in society and important community issues. The perpetuality of social ingroups is a dominant aspect of Singaporean culture, with the rampant country club culture and inherently existent racial divisions exemplifying this problem. While people seek to band themselves with other individuals who they consider similar (race, tradition, economic and social status etc.) to themselves, they undermine social dream of building a Singaporean Singapore, where citizens identify themselves as a collective unit of Singaporens, undivided and united in harmonious cohesion.

As such, social apathy seems to be the key problem which is breeding a materialistic and individualistic culture in Singapore. I recall an infamous incident some time back when a Hwa Chong student assaulted a bus driver for absurd reasons; this actually brought important attention to the ugly reality of the deteriorating social values of our culture. (http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,130301,00.html) Certainly, the scandalous fact that this student was spared the deserved punishment of suspension (at the very least) by one of Singapore’s leading educational institutes, highlights the alarming acceptance of his actions as unsevere. Surely this sends out an atrocious message which promotes the protection of the selfish intentions and actions of members of Singapore’s educational elite (his academic excellence is cetainly no compensation or excuse for his behavior). In this case, the promotion of individualism (seemingly exclusive need to protect the interests of Singapore’s educational elite) compromised any claim to the collectivism of Singaporean society; a genuinely collectivist culture would have seen an overwhelming united condemnation of the student’s actions by all (public, government and administration of Hwa Chong Institution) due to shared social norms (morals and beliefs etc.), upon which, the minimal sentence would surely be have been suspension.

Due to the ethnic diversity of Singaporean society and its insatiable appetite for modernisation and development, the local culture is subjected to an overwhelming assortment of global influences, particularly from western nations. For example, the  monumental construction of the Singapore Flyer is an unfortunate replica of the London Eye. Indeed,this unsurprisingly unoriginal undetaking emphasizes the enduring inability of Singapore to establish a unique character which can ensure the establishment of collectivism in our society. With no natively unique identity being handed down from  earlier generations due to Singapore’s inherently dynamic and multi-faceted  historical nature (beginning as a melting pot of immigrants, later marinated by the ways of British colonial rule, and its eventual ’open’ policy of existing independently based on the ‘models’ of other nations), Singaporean culture is simply a volatile concoction of external influences (my personal opinion); hence, the lack of national identity and  solidarity is inevitably reflected in the individualististic ways of the locals.            

‘Uniquely Singapore’ (misappropriately designated as the latest tag for our tourism endeavors) is merely a facade. With that said, I must emphasize that I am happily Singaporean; but my understanding of my own supposed ‘culture’ fails to venture beyond geographical and factual truths (such as Singapore’s likening to a food paradise). As far as I’m concerned, our culture is a product of cultural imports (deeming this as unique undermines the very concept of the word) shared by an ‘islandful’ of individualistic individuals who are unable to identify with the concept of cultural and social collectivism.  

The Singapore Flyer (pretty, but barely Ours) 

                                 Keeping warm in a wintry Hanoi (above)

Upon being educated with the theories and concepts of interpersonal communication, I thought that it would be rather amusing to relate the identified factors which influence relationship formation and initial development, as well as interpersonal attraction, to my current relationship, in order to attain a clear evaluation of why I got bitten by the love bug again; namely physical appearance, similarity, complementarity, exchange, proximity, reciprocity and liking, and competency. The basic brief on my present preoccupation with this bundle of joy is that she’s a fellow course mate and we’ve been a couple (incidentally a very overused term) for just a couple (no pun intended) of months now.

Indeed, it is undeniable that first impressions count; physical appearance is typically the overwhelmingly major element in this superficial phase of the initial judgement of a person. With regards to the current squeeze, I realise that physical appearance did play a moderate role (in the sense that her personality and physical attractiveness were mutually enhancing); sweet-looking and blessed with dainty facial features, her bubbly and thoughtful nature serve as apt complements of her physical self. As of yet, and hopefully for much of the distant future, the novelty of her physical attrativeness has not worn off.

On hindsight, similarity was the major contributor to the initial attraction and eventually, served as an excellent platform upon which the relationship developed. In terms of attitudinal similarity, we share common ground in terms of our love for good food (the importance of this cannot be over-emphasized), moral values and our general approach of living life. With regards to the issue of social preference similarity, we enjoy certain activities of vice (nothing obscene) amidst plenty of eating escapades (yes, we really do eat quite abit). In the presence of many people who are inherently different from me (in this institution), it was comforting and exciting to find someone so similar; this was a major springboard for the establishment of friendship and the subsequent relationship. 

Complementarity played a minor role, with her patient and chirpy nature serving as excellent complements of the large amount of time i spend in the toilet (due to my possession of the smallest bladder on the planet) and my inherently passive nature, respectively; in fact, these complentary differences have undoubtedly positive influences – for one, her enthusiasm is infectious and often draws me out of my passive ways.

However, the social exchange theory, which dictates a romantic relationship as a transactional entity (in terms of costs and rewards), is a concept that I cannot and refuse to embrace or identify with. I simply do not weigh a person’s worth to me in comparison to another and calculate the resultant level of attractiveness. In this case, the only cost was voluntary emotional attachment and the reward was her; there is no existent level of necessarily evaluated transactions.

I guess it could be said that proximity played the largest role, since I would not have gotten to know her if we did not happen to be pursuing our academic endeavors at the same institue. Also, we happened to assimilate ourselves into the same group of friends in school, and hence came increased opportunities for interaction and enhancement of the friendship. Communicating online also played a part in developing our relational status as we got to know each other better in time.

Reciprocity (in terms of romantic tendencies) and liking hardly played a part in the attraction towards her or the subsequent relationship formation; I had no clue about when she started developing romantic inclinations towards me and even had to question her about it after we got together for the sake of enlightenment. Furthermore, the eventual confessions of romantic feelings were coincidentally mutual and spontaneous, not due to any mutual knowledge of each other’s similar feelings (in actuality, it was refreshingly favorable that things turned out this way, since we could skip the particular phase of mind games which people tend to engage in prior to a relationship, when they are well aware of the existence of mutual feelings but are reluctant to take the initiative to act on them). However, reciprocity in terms of mutual interest in conversing with each other, entertaining each other in times of boredom and self-disclosure was another key element to the birth of the relationship; the large volume of text messages we transacted by phone is the greatest exmeplefication of reciprocity, since it was basically fuelled by constantly replied messages from the other party.

Her competency in her academic work was definitely a pre-requisite to the formation of the relationship (since I find intelligence an incredibly sexy attribute); and although I do not tell her this often enough, her excellence in her field of interest, ballet, was and still is, a major boon. By my personal standards, competency is a demonstration of determination and talent, representative of a seemingly active engagement in life and a meaningul striving for excellence, a decent yardstick of a person’s character.

With all this said, romantic interest is something which should not be deduced logically or summarized as an accumulation of static factors; it is a subconscious ’spark’ which could potentially trigger relational formation. And now that I’ve embarked on a new relational journey, I seek to only progress along Mark Knapp’s designated first five stages of relational development; with the tiny creature I now call my own.  

A short while back, I caught the film The Kite Runner (directed by Marc Foster); a competent interpretation of its literary equivalent (authored by Khaled Hosseini) which i first read a couple of years ago. Basically, the plot revolves around a rich Afgan boy, and his tumultuous journey through several key events (with regards to the fate of Afghanistan) – the Soviet invasion and the subsequent mass ‘migration’ of refugees to the United States and Pakistan, and the saddistic rule of the Taliban. This monumental tale begins with Amir’s childhood experiences with a loyal friend, his father’s servant-boy Hassan (A Hazara; commonly considered an inferior race by the Afghans), who also serves as his ‘kite runner’ as he obsesses with peaceful Kabul’s sport of choice, kite fighting; eventually, Amir’s jealousy of his father’s favoritism for Hassan and his resentment of Hassan’s seeming moral ‘perfection’ drives him to severe their friendship and successfully compel Hassan and his father to reluctantly leave the household. Soon, the Soviet invasion commences and Baba (Amir’s father) takes Amir to seek refuge in the United States and start a new life. Fifteen long years flash by before Amir recieves news of Hassan’s death and subsequently orphaned son (Sohrab); spured on by immense guilt of his mistreatment of Hassan years ago and a desire for moral redemption, Amir returns to Kabul to ‘rescue’ Sohrab from the atrocities of the Taliban regime. With much difficulty, he succeeds, and brings Sohrab back to the United States to live with him.

The film succeeds in asserting the key features of the novel (however, I do prefer the novel as it provides a far more meticulous treatment of the story; it simply is impossible to include all the minute but nonetheless meaningful details in the film) – social commentary with regards to Kabul, the highly emotive nature of the tragic tale and the theme of redemption and atonement.

During the course of the film, the visual choreography clearly illustrates the juxtaposition of Kabul during initially peaceful times (depicted on screen as a flourishing and vibrant city; buzzing with activity and a literally colorful culture) and a dilapidated Kabul during the Russian onslaught and subsequent reign of the Taliban (portrayed on screen as a lifeless city, lined with seemingly deserted and quiet streets, littered with the ruins of numerous felled buildings; despair and fear now pervade Kabul). This visual juxtoposition is also accompanied by appropriately contrasting tones of music (nonverbal cue), further emphasizing the disparity of Afghanistan’s situation in the different time periods. In effectively highlighting this disparity, the film succeeds in its efforts at social commentary as it gains the audience’s empathy with regards to Kabul’s depicted fall from grace. A particularly disturbing scene in which Sohrab (Hassan’s son) is shown performing an erotic dance for a Taliban official further draws attention to the plight of the nation in recent times. Keeping in mind that this is an American production, this no doubt serves to convince the audience of the evil and saddistic nature of the Taliban and the catastrophic consequences which will befall Afghasnistan should the Taliban return to power. Indeed, the excellent cinematography (backed by an American perspective) serves as an effective medium for the communication of the show’s ‘messages’.

The highly emotive nature of this motion picture can be attributed to the credible work of a talented cast, appropriate utilization of background music and the inherently tragic nature of the script. The film’s depiction of Amir’s initial rejection of the saintly Hassan evokes much anger at the former and much pity for the later. The loyal Hassan’s passive and dispairing silence (effective implemetation of paralinguistics) in the midst of Amir’s verbal abuse, mistreatment and sabotage, and towards his endurance of getting sodomized in his efforts to protect Amir from harm, tugs relentlessly at one’s heartstrings, and actually serves to elevate the emotional significance and impact (on the audience) of Amir’s redemption in his eventual relentless quest to rescue Sohrab (the touching demonstration of his desire for atonement). A personal takeaway for me was derived from the depiction of Baba’s undying love for his son Amir (despite his perpetual disappointment in Amir) and Baba’s depressing demise later on; the paternal love depicted on screen left me with an important reminder to treasure my loved ones all the more (life is too short for regrets).

Finally, I am sure that audiences of the film will subsequently revise any previously presumptuous and stereotypical perceptions of Muslims (their unfair prototyping of all Muslims or Afghans as dangerous and worthy of suspiscion due to the recent onslaught of terrorism and guerilla warfare in the Middle East); the film’s potroyal of the massive moral disparity between the radical and evil Taliban officals, and the conservative, respectful and genuinely religious nature of the regular Afghan people, serves to emphasize the vital need to discern the good from the bad, instead of implementing an unjustified judgement on all in the particular prototype category. In present times, where the safety of the international Muslim community is being threatened by mounting suspiscion and unobjective racism (due to the contempt for the actions of Muslim extremists), the relevance of such a film and the message it embodies, cannot be over-emphasized. Indeed, it is important to be aware of the negative influences of one’s cognitive schemata.

Meaningful and deeply thought-provoking; encompassing important social commentary amidst an engaging tale. The Kite Runner is a must read and a decent watch.

The movie’s trailer.

As I browsed through my notes on non-verbal communication, I found myself pondering the role of the various mechanisms of non-verbal communications during the courting phase of a relationship. Often, the persons who are considering taking a friendship to the ‘next level’, heavily favor the usage of non-verbal communication over the seemingly daunting task of expressing one’s feelings explicitly; this is particularly true of asians who tend to be more conservative and inherently shy, and prefer to signal their interest or disinterest in subtle ways which serve to forge an unspoken ‘mutual understanding’.

I recall from personal experience, the fascinating and exciting exchanges of nonverbal ’signals’ between me and potential partners in days gone by; the relevance of paralinguistics, oculesics, haptics, proxemics and physical appearance all played major roles in these unspoken but vitally important pre-relationship ‘exchanges’.

For example, with reference to paralinguistics, the mutual use of a subtly flirtatious and conscientiously gentle tone, whether consciously or subconsciously, often served as affirmation of my relational interest in the other party and confirmed my suspiscions of the authenticity of the other party’s similar interest in me. In addition, the experience of ‘comfortable silence’ in each other’s prescence is often an indicaton of the attainment of an unprecedented level of comfort and enduring interest between two parties; in my case, this was always an important indicator that things could possibly work out between me and the potential partner.

The use of oculesics manifested itself in various forms. The prolonged ‘meeting of the eyes’ holds greater significance then physical gazing and implied attraction, indicating a high level of comfort in the blossoming relationship and in actuality, is a rather explicit expression of mutual interest; often, this sustained ‘locking of eyes’ served as another supplementary indicator of the other party’s interest in me, and reassured me in the knowledge that a potential relationship was indeed on the cards should i choose to proceed.

The exemplification of the mechanisms of haptics frequently involved physical flirtation, such as the gentle but deliberate brushing of one’s arm against the other party, or the gradual and natural increase of mutual physical contact as both parties become more comfortable with each other and secure in the knowledge of their mutual romantic inclinations; this is also representative of the concept of proxemics and the gradual advance towards intimate distance and beyond as the relationship develops in a positive direction. I recall an occasion when I walked a certain potential partner home. While both of us were obviously aware of the prescence of mutual interest and the inevitability of a romantic relationship materializing eventually, we both stubbornly refused to take the intiative in voicing such a prospect. During the walk, what began as the gentle brushing of arms, eventually culminated into the holding of hands and a tender first kiss before the night was up.

The role of nonverbal communication is absolutely crucial to the development or cessation of relations between people and the effective utilization of such mechanisms could possibly lead to finding that elusive person who we glorify as ‘the one’.

Indeed, the next time you approach a potential relationship, be conscious of the intrinsic workings of nonverbal communication in your interactions, and grasp the power to possibly steer the relationship in whichever direction you may prefer.

The Simpsons is a brilliant satirical cartoon featuring compelling political and social commentary, amidst a sea of hillariously nonsensical comedy; it boasts a colourful cast of characters which include the haughty and obsessively villainous billionaire owner of a nuclear power plant, Montgomery Burns, the indian immigrant who is the everpresent convenience store clerk, Apu, and Ned Flanders, the ultimate personification of religious fervor.

Personally speaking, the greatest draw of the show is its uncanny ability to subtly communicate particular messages on a variety of issues to its audience; all this, surfacing in the chaos of comicality, an irresistable fusion. Often, the events, circumstances and characters which constitute the show, serve as effective vessels of intended satire and parody. In the following clip, the issue of America’s insatiability for outsourcing and seeking cheaper labor is discussed, amidst the usual bundle of laughs; here, determined to cut operation costs, Montgomery Burns attempts to exploit Indian locals in an attempt to outsource nuclear power generation for American usage. The message is clear - Blue-collared America’s desire to attain wealth at the expense of burdening seemingly ‘lesser’ societies with It’s work and It’s egocentric social apathy which is rooted in greed ( reflected in the degrading and discriminatory conduct of Burn’s outsourcing methodology ).

Despite the dysfuntional nature of the Simpsons as a familial unit, they are indeed representative of certain characteristics of the average American ( somtimes even applicable to people of other nationalities ). For exmaple, Homer’s insatiable gluttony is an apt reflection of America’s fledging battle against obesity, while Lisa’s struggles as an intellectual genius are instantly identifiable in our world. The dazzling variety of the supporting cast is not without purpose, with each additional character representing a specific facet of American life or a general sector of the diverse American population; Case in point – Apu, the Indian immigrant who works as the Kwik-E-Mart Clerk, is constantly dealing with immigration issues and serves as the perpetual victim of jokes about his citizenship status and Indian ethnicity. Furthermore, character dymanics are also noteworthy. The marriage issues which Marge and Homer constantly face are certainly readily recognizable by married couples.

Therefore, people are able to identify with the show; this is the very tool that grants it such popular mass appeal.  

Boasting an impressive lifespan in the entertainment industry, this stimulating animated sitcom is the perfect exemplification of the overwhelming power of the media in reaching out to audiences and getting a message across. An undeniable favorite of mine.

The pig which Homer did not consume; a modern day miracle.

Much has been made of Barack Obama’s quest for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections. While Clinton loyalists vehemently dismiss his bid as nonsensical due to his inexperience and consequent incapability to fill such colossal shoes, countless others ( including myself ) are firmly backing him to succeed, romanticized by the notion of his humble background and his subsequent meteoric rise to present status, a testament of his character.

Indeed, Obama’s forte is his ( a key feature of his drive for a successful campaign ) exceptional mastery of the art of persuasion and effective speaking ( Rhetoric ), delivering speeches with rousing passion and convictive confidence; Clinton has a contradistinctively more measured and calculated approach and certainly pales in comparison to her democratic compatroit in this area. To put it blatantly, u could bottle Billary’s speeches and sell them as a cure for insomia.

While Obama does give sufficient focus to reason ( Logos ) in dictating factual information about his future plans should he assume the Presidential seat, his overwhelming persuasive charisma is rooted in Ethos ( the persuasive appeal of his personality ) and Pathos ( how he appeals to the emotion of his audience ). I for one, am a great admirer of his charismatic ways, and enjoy reviewing his numerous speeches. His modest beginnings make him a popular choice among Americans from the lower income groups, as he would concievably understand the struggles and concerns of the nation’s impoverished and the average American. Futhermore, his confession of having used alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine during his teenage years to “push questions of who I was out of my mind” ( referring to his African American heritage ), does much to inspire confidence in his forthright character and courageous honesty, emphasizing his appeal as a fellow regular person ( the ’people’s’ candidate so to speak ) who has made his fair share of unfortunate mistakes and fought his own demons of social repression.

He is brilliant at spontaneously styling his verbal deliveries to encompass invigorating phrases which effectively stir up his audience. In the subsequent enclosed speech in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, he expresses several ideas with succint ‘one-liners’; one of which is his view on the economy as being ‘good to wallstreet, not so good to mainstreet’. Once again, a signature feature of Obama’s campaign - the wellness of Blue-collared America - is evident here, and to great effect. With the people, of the people and for the people; that is Obama’s message to America, and even I, a foreign entity, am moved by it.

Following the greatest disaster to hit America, Hurricane Bush, I pray that America will get it right this time round; electing Osama..i mean Obama will definitely not be a mistake. The following video shows exactly why Barack is this term’s popular choice.