This week we took a close look into the movies; Galaxy Quest and Jaws, two films that made history in their unconventional plot lines and twists. The film Galaxy Quest (1999) labeled as a Sci-fi/Comedy took audiences by storm with enhanced special-effects, realistic costumes and an unusual tone for sci-fi movies. This movie gained a massive fanbase and inspired fan conventions where people came together to dress up as their favorite characters and bond over their formed knowledge of the show. In San Diego there is an international non-profit comic-con held every single year. This event usually hosts around 167,000 attendees at the San Diego Convention Center, who come from all over to meet the creators of their favorite books and movies as well as interact with other fans. There are parties held at these conventions as well as discussions and the opportunity to dress up. In my home city of Chicago we have an annual comic-con as well and I know people go and have a lot of fun. I never knew much about it but from what we have talked about in class and I see from my film research, it seems like it could be really fun. This years’ conventions were cancelled in San Diego and other major cities because of the pandemic however, are scheduled to reopen on July 21, 2022 at the downtown San Diego location.

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, US actress Tessa Thompson and Director Taika Waititi spoke about their roles in the Marvel movie during the 2019 San Diego convention.

The movie Jaws celebrated the 45 anniversary of it’s release this past summer. When Jaws came to theaters on June 20th, 1975 it became groundbreaking in the way that it was unlike any other movie. Jaws gained national attention for its thrilling components and unexpectedly intense, gory plot twists. This film notably launched Steven Spielberg’s career as a director and screenwriter, paving the way for his later award winning films such as E.T (1982), Jurassic Park (1993) and Schindler’s List (1993). Jaws also shaped many people’s perceptions of sharks, people didn’t see them like fish anymore, but deadly oceanic creatures that attacked humans.

I still remember watching this movie for the first time and being thrown off by the boat scene, wondering when the shark would appear again out of nowhere.

The gratification theory helps us understand why we look to certain media outlets to fulfill specific needs. Did you wake up today feeling particularly scholarly? Maybe thats why you chose to open the News app before Facebook or Instagram. This theory presents users as the one’s being in control of their media wants and needs. For me personally, I like to go on Facebook when I want to check in with family and go on Instagram or TikTok when I feel more creative or inspired. I found this media contextualization for the gratification theory to be really interesting because we often times hear that our technology controls us not the other way around. We are so connected to our phones, televisions and computers that it can be easy to believe that we are just a byproduct of our time spent on these devices and feel out of control when using them.

Thinking about this takes me back to last semester in ‘Social Media and Society’ where we went about 15-20 minutes daily without looking at our phones. This brief disconnection was difficult at first and gave me, and a lot of others anxiety. I remember wondering if anyone was texting me or if I missing anything important that made it hard for me to focus on the task at hand- even if it was just walking from my dorm to class. It did however get easier and I believe that I regained some of that control over my screen time.

Are/were you apart of any Fandoms at any point in time? Did you lose interest if you are no longer apart of them?