It seems a little surreal to be saying that this is my last blog for our class because this semester feels like it just flew by. Blog writing has been a creative outlet for me outside of class so to incorporate that intellectual flow in my schoolwork has made learning more enjoyable. I am also a big fan of media and have enjoyed discussing different genres and media outlets, especially in relation to how they affect our society.

The 1957 Film ’12 Angry Men’ was an interesting movie to watch as it was not only powerful and thought-invoking, but shone light on important issues of our judicial process within sentencing defendants. The movie focuses on 12 jurors called to serve on the trial of a Hispanic teenager accused of stabbing his father with a switchblade knife, sentenced to the death-chair if proven guilty. The odds seem stacked against the boy who already has a criminal record and grew up with limited education in tenement housing. The 12 all-male jurors are extremely similar, being of mostly white ethnicity, around middle age and of a middle-class background. The viewer witnesses the harsh pressures they are put under while deliberating, sitting around rectangular tables in sweaty cramped rooms after hearing sub-par evidence in the teen’s defense from his uninterested public-defendant- who didn’t want to take the job in the first place. This clearly disadvantaged minority boy’s life is on the line and this trial is unfair to say the least.

However there is hope. One influential, open-minded juror (Henry Fonda) provides reasonable evidence on the teenagers behalf, urging the other jurors to refrain in resolving the accused with such simple evidence, considering the situation more holistically. He see’s reasonable doubt in the defendant’s inadequate case to be heard and understood in ways that the other jurors are simply unable to resonate with- even if some believe to have been through similar struggles themselves. This film highlights the vast differences in personality types of these men, some angry and quick to judge, some indifferent and eager to just vote ‘guilty’ and go about their life. Others are refreshingly more thoughtful and inclined to help the oppressed. In many ways this courtroom is representative of the survival of the fittest mentality shown in many societies. Either you are liked and established or have too many roadblocks to prove yourself and succeed, especially in a construct built to tear you down.

As my last blog for Social Media and Society comes to an end I’d like to reflect on some concepts that we’ve used in deciphering common media messages and effects. Whenever I watch a movie from now on I don’t think I’ll use the initial rating as my point of reference for it being too much of anything- vulgar, scary or violent. I’ll look for hidden messages in television and movies alluding to our society and how different demographics are represented amongst plot-lines and characters. Additionally, I don’t think that I’ll discriminate against watching older movies in black and white or ones that didn’t make it to the theaters or have a lot of hype upon their releases. Overall I really enjoyed this class and reading everyones blogs. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read mine and comment on my ideas and respond to class questions.

Farewell or.. So Long!