Journal 2

In Music Television Mike, he states very intriguing ideas that are all of somewhat true. I grew up on MTV and still am addicted to it. The shows that he mentions are all of the dating related and annoying scrpited shows. MTV is also known for the reality shows such as True Life and The Hills. The Hills is definatly my favorite show at the moment on MTV. It shows the lives of rich kids that had to move out to the real world and actually work. I love listening to all their drama and bickering between eachother. It makes me feel like in my life, I have no drama which is not true. Those members of the MTV generation will always have all these shows in common. We go to school and talk about what happened on TV last night and even have "The Hills" parties to watch the show together. MTV Mike makes all the right points about MTV that the whole generation knows.

Journal 2

Mike's writing style definately reflects his MTV influences. He uses language that really helps him connect with the audience (other students). By talking in the way you would expect someone in his generation to, it makes Mike's writing much more effective to the topic. He vividly describes each show, and lets you know he has an intimate understanding of all characters involved. I do, however, think that he overexagerated some of his analysis. I grew up in a house without cable TV, so my understanding of MTV is limited, but from what i've heard, most of it is trash TV. To be able to try and say you learned all sorts of life lessons from these programs just seems absurd. Its like saying "I learned from Jerry Springer that you shouldnt sleep with all the girls in the trailer park, or else you'll get AIDS". Its mostly common sense stuff, not an experience that you learn and grow by. To find any way to look at Bevis and Butthead as role models.... no matter how he tries to justify it, i dont see that as realistic. In conclusion, I admire Mike's writing ability, but i disagree with his opinions. Though i can appreciate Mike's decision to look at something for more than what it is on the surface, thats also the part of the essay where he lost me.

Journal 2

Mike presents his views of MTV in a way that allows every person who has watched MTV to make a connection with what he is saying. He takes a look at the shows the network supports, and how they have played a role in his life. Mike uses the dating shows “Next” and “Parental Control” to express how to look at the shows and learn now to treat people. He makes reference to the Golden Rule, which I am sure all of us learned at an early age, to give deeper expression of what the dating shows have taught him. Along with references to the dating shows he expresses his views of “Beavis and Butthead”, and how even a show like had a helping hand in shaping the person he became. It is through his simple tone of voice that one is able to fully connect with his views. However, The one thing that really upsets me about Mike’s article is that he talks about these shows, which have nothing to do with music, and doesn’t state how the network that is called MUSIC television and has greatly swayed away from the music… but that’s just something the aggravates me I guess.

Journal 2

While reading through “MTV Mike” I kept catching myself nodding my head, and thinking, “yes, yes, that’s so true.” Even if his sophisticated and deep yet casual and personable writing style wasn’t so convincing and easy to agree with, Mike has intelligently and successfully forced me to see MTV from a perspective very rarely looked at. For Mike, MTV has inspired his desire to question and challenge ‘what’s acceptable’ and also had played a part in forming who he is today.  “MTV Mike” takes a show that Mike is almost ashamed to have watched as a child, Beavis and Butthead, and explains how that influence from Butthead’s individuality had made an impact of who he is today, (in a good way!).  Reversely, the ‘cruelty and superficiality’ of shows like ‘Next’ and ‘Parental Control’ have taught him how not to act.  After reading “MTV Mike”, I feel like I can completely relate to Mike and I’m sure that 99% of the people around me can say the same thing.

Hello. My name is Brittany, and I am part of the MTV generation.

Journal 2

MTV Mike wrote a great essay about television shows. He talks about how shows have a tremendous impact on children and how they act. I feel that what Mike stated is very true because the media does influence people to act a certain way. He uses a language that the MTV can understand and relate to. His description of the MTV shows display the effects they have on him. Mike’s characteristics are how one should not act, and he discusses how the media tries to instill a certain aspect in him. He talks about how people of his generation tries to follow all of the latest trends. I really liked this essay, and I agree with Mike’s opinion of people and the impact television has on them.

Journal 2

MTV Mike is a great story. Mike depicts exactly how teens in today’s world strive to be what they see on the television. I am dumbfounded however that he was able to gain life lessons out of simply watching a television show. Either he is truly a couch potato or he has no parents to show him guidance at home. I for one can speak on behalf of many teenagers who are not addicted to MTV. With this in mind, his essay is still profoundly written. Beavis and Buttead taught Mike to be an individual, and not to care what anyone else thought of him. This is one of the best traits for someone to posses. MTV also taught him how to treat people with courtesy, since on MTV’s dating game reality shows the contestants were treated with complete and utter disrespect. I describe Mike’s writing style as informative and explanatory. He tells his readers how he has come to his conclusions on life, and how his character is shaped around the world he has seen on TV since he was a child. He is also very descriptive. He goes into detail about every aspect of MTV, and how each show on there has impacted not only his life but the lives of all MTV’s viewers. He uses very grammatical language, and very cut throat. He gets to the point, but also alliterates on his descriptions to keep his reader hooked.

Journal 2

MTV Mike...his essay as a whole is just sad. Granted, he wrote excellently; I'll come back to the later. But honestly, I think this guy took MTV totally out of perspective and let it influence his life way too much. To me, he needed to stop being so impressionable, because I can say that I never picked up any of my personality from MTV, or any other show for that matter. Or maybe I'm just different. Or maybe my parents monitored what I watched closer. Whatever the reason, Mike definitely needed to think more for himself. I definitely do not consider myself in this generation of kids influenced by MTV.

As for Mike's writing style, it was excellent. His grammar and word choice were two things that really stood out to me. I believe this paper was written to be read more by the students than the faculty/ adults. His writing style reflects that of a teenager and is really easy to connect to for me. His essay as a whole was a funny, easy read that was easily understood. No big, confusing words. Just pure though and passion about his topic. There was no fluff in sight. So his overall message was off basis in my opinion, but at least it was easy to understand.

The writing style that is used by Mike is informal. It seems that his writing is more toward the youth reader than of an adult. Also the way he writes relates more toward the youth. Therefor its makeing an connection with the youth reader helping them to understand. The sort of language used in Mikes writing is not of high quality its more slang than anything. ThisI say reflects the matter by making youth readers want to read and getting them to have more and more interest in his reading.

Journal 2

The character traits that MTV has inspired in Mike seem to be how one should not act. He does not watch Beavis and Butt-head and make that his own life. Instead, he informs us that the show is educational in the sense that we should take whatever they do, and then do the opposite and then we'll be fine. I think he is trying to tell us that if we treated MTV as the "Don'ts" half of the "Do's and Don'ts of a successful person, then we can all be winners in this world. Obviously when it comes to dating, you are not going to go with the Next strategy. No one is going to send their date packing because the next one is in a car around the block and has the potential of being hotter. Also, I don't try to make a date enjoyable because I get a dollar for every minute the girl is enjoying herself.

Mike's writing style is very unique because it is not how anyone is taught to write. My english teachers always told me, "You can only write incorrectly is you're a famous author." because somehow that is acceptable. He uses a more intellectual tone than you may expect in an article about pretty stupid things. Almost as if he was writing about these influences of MTV for a magazine article; on the cover "How is MTV affecting kids today?" His language is intelligent, yet he still relates to the common person and teenager.

MTV Mike

Mike says that MTV has shaped his character and I could not agree more. Although MTV never states in bold-faced terms “you should respect and be nice to one another” they do have their own way of teaching us that by advertising what the other side is like. Almost like an Anti-role-model. Although the luxury of shows like MTV cribs is very appealing, the attitudes and stupidity of the majority of the other shows is definitely not. While I may laugh at them, I would be mortified if people were laughing at me for the same reason. I think what Mike is saying is that MTV gives teenagers a place to look for ideas on how to shape themselves. He just uses nicer words and a more intellectual “cooler” way to say it. In my own opinion, I think that MTV Mike’s writing style is , to say the least, very unique. While he uses an intelligent and almost formal way of writing, they way we are taught in school, he uses lingo and clichés that are not learned nor encouraged in schools. He really seemed to mix the two very well. When Mike is writing it is almost like he is talking to you but in a way that would suggest he had actually listened to his teacher in English.

I Prefer VH1... That's Just Me

There is something strange about Mike's writing style. His writing is both organized and formal, yet also encompasses the whole pop-cultural feel a lot like an educated tabloid or a well put together presentation that would not really be normal when you try to describe MTV. What I mean is MTV is talked about with your friends or on TV in a very non-formal "yea last night's Cribs episode was sick" type of way. This was even more peculiar to me being apart of this so-called MTV generation, because we shared these experiences, yet I can say I have never heard MTV talked about in such a way. He made the intent of Beavis and Butt-Head sound intelligent, this I formally thought of as an impossible task was done quite neatly. 

            Even though he had a very formal and intellectual set-up Mike made it very easy to connect with what he was talking about. If possible Mike didn't really explain what it was to be a part of this generation he showed us. Through some of his diction and also connecting with our sub-conscience, we all thought about how utterly stupid Beavis and Butt-head were, or how shallow "Next" was, yet we never put it to words. And so, reading Mike's essay half of it felt as though he was pulling my thoughts from my head. This made me see right through his formal presentation and feel at home with his essay. At first it seemed like it be a dry analytical passage written by some guy who "observed" our generation. Though quickly I found that I was getting comfortable with adapting to his style. 

journal 2

Throughout his writing mike uses a very casual and informal style. Because of this it is an easy read and one can sense the "youthful" tone in his sentence structure and vocabulary. This tone further emphasizes on his subject, he writes very outspokenly and honestly. Very much the opposite style in which "TRL" would communicate in. In terms of balancing his identity and the influence MTV has had on it I think he tended to exaggerate. Stating things such as "Beavis and Butthead built the foundation of my own uniqueness" and "the deprivation of quality television that demonstrates positive morals has made me strive to exemplify the Golden Rule," I would say these quotes are a little bit exreme. This definately aids in exemplifying how much this "church of conformity" has affected his own life, allowing him personalize these shows to such an extent. Also, the style of figuritive language he uses makes the reading feel personal, like he is trying to introduce or "sell" himself to the reader.

JOURNAL 2

Mike’s writing style is informal and somewhat conversational. He relates his examples very clearly through his writing and seems to be directing his text at the teenage audience. The words he chooses are very common and ordinary. He keeps his language simple using phrases relevant to his topic. It was easy to follow along with his story and how MTV influenced him. Mike uses the TV shows from MTV, almost everyone has seen, as one way to convey his subject to the reader. I think that is what made it such an easy read. This is something that is familiar to relatively everyone. The language he uses goes hand in hand with the subject he is talking about. Mike calls MTV the “Church of Conformity” where teenagers learn their dress, actions, and way of life. He clearly believes MTV is not the most positive network. The life lessons learned are actually the opposite of what goes on in the TV shows. For example, Mike learned how to treat people by watching the show Next. Noting how people hated to be treated, Mike knew to do the contrary. By using examples such as these and by keeping the language plain he reflects the subject of MTV and some of ridiculousness that comes with it. MTV!

journal 2

Music Television Mike. I would say over all think every word Mike said was completely true. Sometimes I wondered why, and how some of the things that are on TV get on TV. I would describe Mike's writing style as descriptive. Why descriptive? Because in his writing he is describing how they different type of TV shows effected his life. He describes how although things may be looked at in the wrong way it can be a positive side to it also. As he used the cartoon show Beavis, and Butthead as one of his examples. And he said that the show showed him what not to do. Instead what some think of it as showing, and encouraging doing the wrong thing? I think the type of language he uses is rite to the point, and is well understood. The language affects his subject matter. Because not only what he where talking was related to a more slang type of show. But they did not talk in what you would call a high level of speaking.

Journal 2

Read and respond to Hendrickson’s essay ("MTV Mike"). Examine which character traits MTV has inspired in Mike and also how he balances his descriptions of MTV shows with his discussion of their impact on his character. How would you describe Mike’s writing style? What sorts of language does he use to convey his subject to the reader? How does this language reflect his subject matter?