Media exposes Ray Rice scandal

By MEAGHAN McCLURE

Social media play a huge role in the lives of everyone today. More importantly, when a breaking news story is released, it is almost impossible to not hear of it on Facebook, Twitter or any similar social media outlet, while everyone gives out their own opinions.

This is why social media played a key role in the termination of a football player’s contract and indefinite suspension from the NFL.

Ray Rice was caught on camera dragging his unconscious fiancee out of a casino elevator way back in February. So why did it take almost seven months to give him a punishment fit for his horrifying act?

When the first video was released and widely covered by news and sports media, there was public shock, but of a relatively small scale. People were disgusted, but forgot about it in due time, and Rice only suffered a two-game suspension.

It wasn’t until TMZ released a second video, making the attack more visual, that the NFL and Ravens alike stepped up Rice’s punishment.

What is the difference between the release of the two videos? Public backlash.

After the release of the first video, it was a trending story for no more than a few days, quick to be forgotten in a league where crimes like this aren’t that foreign. However, it has been a week since the second was released, and new developments in the story are coming out everyday.

The public became so outraged, it took to social media, making this story a trending topic on Twitter and Facebook for over a week. In a society where the average internet user’s attention span is minimal, this was a long time. The public influence concerning this story was strong enough to end a man’s career, and make NFL reconsider policies.

It is clear the effect social media and the public’s opinion had on this Ray Rice situation. What is not clear, however, is the reason why it took this high level of intensely bad publicity to make the NFL take appropriate measures in the punishment.

Although social media is a blessing, allowing powerful entities like the NFL to hear the voices of the public, it should not have been the driving force to ultimately force the NFL to suspend Rice indefinitely.

The NFL leadership claimed to not have seen the second video until Monday, although law enforcement officials confirm it was sent to the league office in April. Even still, everyone knew what had happened on that elevator and the NFL should have taken appropriate measures then, rather than wait to see if the situation would blow over.

With all these facts known, the NFL has portrayed itself in a horrible light and the influence and backlash of social media are not going to help the league out or lead people to forget about it anytime soon. Let’s just hope the league handles the next situation better than it did this one.

Coachella revolutionizes festivals

By VIVIAN BRAGA

The famous two-weekend music festival Coachella, known for its reckless spirit and hippie vibe, reunited big name music stars like Pharrell, Skrillex and Lana Del Ray and other indie artists into a massive music fest that brought approximately thousands of people together.

Coachella, held in the desert of Southern California, is now one of the largest music festivals in the world and has revolutionized the music festival industry, emerging new musical stars, celebrating a generation but also challenging preconceptions.

While the reviews for this year’s edition for Coachella have been positive, not all of it had to do with the music. The festival became a place to see and be seen and it’s not just a mere collection of concerts, but an actual event that broke the rules of technological innovation.

It’s a completely different world these days. Once upon a time music festivals led change and promoted art. Now, Coachella visitors don’t just go to discover new music and emerge in the experience, but rather to take “selfies” and upload them and to share as much information in their social networks as possible.

No surprise, Coachella is the most blogged, Facebooked and tweeted about event in the whole social networking universe. The event has no commercials, billboards or any evident form of advertising; instead, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter do all the work.

The festival has now evolved into becoming another platform for a celebrity fashion week, and for people to post about their “festival style.” The focus of Coachella shifting from purely music to now also fashion is further confirmed through H&M’s sponsorship.

Although they’ve been sponsoring Coachella for now five years, this year they’ve designed a new line with Alexander Wang’s partnership and Coachella was “Ideal venue to launch a new product” said CSMonitor.com.

As social media continues to gain influence, music festivals beginning with Coachella are now focusing less on music but more on opportunities for social networking, fashion displays and indirect marketing. Similarly to Coachella, other music events are now also threated by fashion imagery domination.

Is Miley Cyrus just growing up?

By VIVIAN BRAGA

In recent interviews, the super-star of the moment Miley Cyrus has said her wild behavior and changes in attitude are completely healthy and are just part of her process of maturing into a young woman. But is doing drugs, dressing provocatively, twerking and stripping really a part of growing up?

Born as Destiny Hope, nicknamed Smiley and now Miley Cyrus, began her career as the secret pop-star Hannah Montana 7 years ago. The hit series turned her into a phenomenon and she’s been in the spot light ever since.

Despite a couple of scandals, Miley has had during her career and teenager years involving leaked private pictures and drugs, in September 2012 jaws were dropped at her new pixie haircut and revealing wardrobe that unchained a whole new behavior and completely buried Hannah Montana and Miley as we know it.

Miley’s recent scandals, which includes her controversial performance at MTV’s Music Video Awards has been a cause of concern and criticism by many and not considered normal. Her sudden hyper-sexuality, lack of impulse and control, admitted drug use and obsession for animals are not typical adolescent behavior.

There is definitely no denial that former Disney star Miley Cyrus has burst out of her sweet, good-girl shell and suddenly grew up overnight… in a shocking way. The “We Can’t Stop” singer has continued to show a track of wild behavior that most recently included nudity, something she is now well known for. Photos from her Adore You remix cover show the star topless riding a horse, topless in her own twitter photos, covers of magazines and completely nude in her controversial Wrecking Ball video.

Continuing to add to her pattern of outrageous behaviors is her current weed addiction. In November 2013 Miley publicly lights up marijuana joint at MTV’s EMA stage in Amsterdam that had millions of views. Her love for smoking has never been a big secret but even other celebrities like Whiz Khalifa worry at the amount she consumes.

While Miley credits growing up as the main reason for her wild ways, this sort of behavior isn’t common for an average twenty-one-year-old. Although she is now an adult and able to behave as she wishes, she has a fan base of millions of girls who look up to her and that will impact on their behavior too.

But the real question is, has Miley really grown up or gone crazy or is this all a part of a master plan? It’s become evident from pop-starts like Britney Spears, Madonna and Lady Gaga that becoming controversial is the formula to being in the public’s eye and mouth. But despite the overwhelming success of her singles “Wrecking Ball,” “We Can’t Stop” and “Adore You,” Miley wasn’t nominated neither by the Grammy’s or the American Music Award for her music, which leads me personally to believe this wasn’t all part of a marketing strategy, but an addiction to attention and thirst for fame.

Although I am in no position at all to judge Miley’s choices, I believe artists don’t need to seek for attention and behave controversially to be recognized for their music and talent. Can Miley really call this change as part of growing up or is the pressure of being famous making her slowly loose her mind?

Why is Miley Cyrus a CNN headline?

By KYLA THORPE

I find it pretty ridiculous that on CNN’s website, one of the top headlines of the day is how Miley Cyrus is facing a long recovery, following an “extreme allergic reaction.”

Yes, the trusted news site is still very good about reporting what matters: The sunken South Korea ferry, the latest development in Ukraine, and so forth.

But why Miley Cyrus? I know it’s not fun to have an allergic reaction to anything, I’m not saying that whatever she’s going through isn’t worth anything, but is it worth being a top headline on a major news source’s website?

I think it looks ridiculous that CNN is reporting on serious world matters and decides to include a slightly reckless celebrity who’s having a personal medical issue.

I’m sure that CNN feels as though it’s okay to post things like this. The site is hoping to draw a younger demographic to the site. Honestly though, if I’m looking for the latest on Miley Cyrus, or any other celebrity, I’m going to go to a trusted source for celebrity news.

I’ll admit that the demographic interested in Cyrus will go to CNN to read about her, but those readers are probably going to leave the site soon after, if they even read the full article.

If CNN’s trying to keep up, this could soon become problematic. Who knows, next month they could be reporting on the next world crisis and somewhere else on the page there will be a featured article investigating why a certain actress looked so terrible on the red carpet.

The people who genuinely read CNN for its intense news stories are probably not interested in how Cyrus is feeling. I read the article. All it talks about is her having a sinus infection on her risqué concert tour and then taking an antibiotic that gave her the allergic reaction.

Please, CNN, this isn’t the kind of news that deserves this attention on your site. Maybe if Cyrus went to a third world country and did some meaningful community service, then it would be warranted as a good human interest feature. And still, I would feel like that would be a publicity stunt. Being on such a broad world stage, CNN should be careful.

Sometimes it only takes one to start something and then everyone’s doing it.

Goodbye, Gabriel García Márquez

By SOFIA ORTEGA

“Say yes, even if you are dying of fear, even if you are going to repent, because anyway you will regret a lifetime if you say no”. These were the wise words of the Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez who died yesterday, April 17, at age 87.

Marquez was admitted to a hospital in Mexico City early this month for a pulmonary and urinary infection. After nine days of treatment, Márquez was released in a delicate state and died shortly after.

Only the millions of followers that read his books understand why today the world of literature is dressed in black. Márquez is considered the most significant author of this century in the Spanish literature.

Marquez with his two Nobel Prize winning books “Love in the Time of Cholera” and “One hundred Years of Solitude, was able to trap his readers and immerse them in what he calls the “magical realism”. He was able to express the reality with a spark of magic, making his characters perceive the mystic as something normal.

Even the greatest poets like Pablo Neruda, consider Márquez’s Nobel Prize winning book “One hundred Years of Solitude” the “greatest revelation in the Spanish language since the Don Quixote of Cervantes.” 

From the many books of Spanish literature that I have read, few have left me with such a remarkable message as “One hundred Years of Solitude”. We should live life as if it is our last day on earth; each moment is valuable and leaves us something to learn. It is up to us if we want to live joyful or lonely.

And the Pulitzer goes to . . .

By JENNA JOHNSON

In January, the Pulitzer nomination of The Washington Post and the U.S. edition of The Guardian for their reports on Edward Snowden and the NSA leaks caused a controversy. But Monday, the two news organizations actually took home the 2014 Pulitzer award for public service.

The Pulitzer board said The Post and The Guardian U.S. were awarded the prize for “authoritative and insightful reports that helped the public understand how the disclosures fit into the larger framework of national security.”

The Pulitzer Prize is one of the most prestigious and sought-after awards in journalism, literature and photography. Not only is expert reporting and writing involved for journalism, but the story must also be something that matters.

I’ve noticed there is often a discrepancy between stories considered newsworthy and stories that actually matter. For example, CNN.com usually has a few trending topics, most of them national or global topics that are indeed relevant for a few days. Then there are a few feature stories, usually more lighthearted but have that bizarre element to them that makes them newsworthy.

There are also those random stories about the latest developments in a celebrity’s private life that in my opinion really shouldn’t be trending on CNN. Because that kind of story begs the question…

Who cares? Does it matter? Maybe. But does it really?

I don’t care, personally, but I realize that a lot of the nation does care and, in the end, that will likely determine what is newsworthy. Whatever gets hits on the page, or eyes glued to the TV screen.

This is another reason why it is not at all typical to see celebrity gossip on a website for a print newspaper like The New York Times or The Washington Post. They’re trying to focus on stories that have lasting impacts, while CNN is trying to capture the viewership of society on television. Thus is born the divide between print and television journalism. I’m not trying to say that either one of them is wrong or that one of them is more entertaining.

I’m just saying that a television news website probably won’t win a Pulitzer.

NFL faces a moment of change

By TAYLOR HOFF

Sam Michaels tackles the slow attempt at change in the NFL and forces the league to deal head on with the long-time controversy of unspoken homophobia.

With gay marriage being legalized and acceptance of LGBT alliances higher than ever, why is it okay that one of the biggest sports leagues in the world is still the most anti-gay and least accepting of change?

Whereas this problem was easily swept under the rug because there was no case in which the NFL was immediately forced to deal with regarding the controversy, the coming out of Sam Michaels catapulted the issue to that of top priority.

In the most “manly” business in the world, built around physical strength that is supposed to represent the macho alpha males of the world, coming out only months before the draft is a very risky decision.

However, the news and sports media attention has been more positive than many would have expected. This could in fact be at the fault of his risky decision. Being the first male to come out, gain Michael’s a title of courage and bravery.

Many teams have released statements of support for Michaels.

New York Giants owner John Mara said:

“As Patrick Burke and Wade Davis constantly remind all of us, regardless of who you are, what your background is and what your personal or sexual orientation is, if you can play, you can play. Michael’s announcement will not affect his position on our draft board.”

The question of how the NFL will react remains a mystery for now, but it’ll be hard for one of the largest and most influential businesses to support any direction other than in that of the modern change. The entire business will need to reposition itself but, in order for the business to progress, it must be progressive.

Late night hosts announce departures

By TAYLOR HOFF

Last week the entertainment world was left gasping when two of their best comedians announced departures from their beloved networks.

David Letterman, a long-time favorite around the world, told the public he will be retiring from his “Last Night” show on CBS.

In addition, the first and possibly most successful female comedy show host, Chelsea Handler, shocked the public with her exodus from the E! Network.

The perfect timing seems to be causing suspicion.

Before Letterman’s announced retirement, Handler has reportedly shot down CBS’s offer to take over Craig Ferguson’s 12:30 a.m. slot. However, after the retirement of Letterman, Handler is supposedly back in consideration with CBS.

This possibility has caused a lot of media attention.

If Handler does take this position, she will become the first female late-night show host, since Cynthia Garrett’s short stint in 2000-01.

Controversy arose in two forms. One direction, is the fear that if Handler leaves the E! Network, and neglects to take a late night job at CBS, she is leaving the late night field completely male dominated.

Another direction of controversy in the media is that of ancient perspective. Many people have expressed their dismay of a woman taking over this previously male heavy field. They fear she will add too much sex appeal to the show. And her raunchy personality, opening up fairly easily about her drug and alcohol abuse, may be too much for this broadcast network.

Is it okay that people in this day and age are still forming their opinions over someone’s sex?

Whether or not, the fulfillment of Letterman’s position, be Handler, or Howard Stern, or any other man, will no doubt be a large topic of media attention.

Teen asks Netflix to prom via Twitter

By CLARA BENDAYAN

The latest trend on social media among teenagers seems to be prom-asking, modernly known as a “promposal.” However, this trend doesn’t occur among each other. Rather, there’s been a spike in gutsy teens asking their favorite celebrities to prom via Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

With the emergence of social media sites such as Twitter, where fans are able to communicate with their favorite celebrities, there has been a rise in celebrity-fan communication.

Celebrities and famous companies gets millions of tweets a day, and obviously not all of them are answered or seen. However, sometimes some people get lucky and their dreams come true.

This was the case with Muthana Sweis, a 17-year-old from Chicago who asked Netflix, a popular streaming company, via Twitter if the company would go with him to his junior prom if his tweet got 1,000 retweets.

While many would think this is odd, Sweis became the most popular guy in his high school for his unique stunt.

“How is a movie website going to escort my baby brother to prom?” asked Sweis’s sister.

Good question. It turns out that Netflix agreed and decided to give Sweis a bunch of cool accessories and clothing from iconic movies and TV shows.

Did I also mention that they hooked him up with James Bond’s “Skyfall” tux and the 1950s Buick from “Grease?” Not too shabby at all. They also gave him the choice of a chauffeur along with choosing his tux and ride.

Naturally, he chose a Danny Zuko look-alike.

Muthana Sweis's tweet promposal to Netflix (Courtesy of HuffingtonPost).

Muthana Sweis’s tweet promposal to Netflix (Courtesy of HuffingtonPost).

Netflix sent a camera crew to the teen’s hometown and followed him to prom. When he arrived, nearly every student jumped at the chance of snapping an Instagram picture of him and, of course, with him.

Final verdict? I guess Netflix will no longer be associated with being that site where you binge-watch shows on when you’re not feeling social. This also proved to be an excellent and nontraditional marketing strategy.

Netflix's response to Sweis's tweet (Courtesy of HuffingtonPost).

Netflix’s response to Sweis’s tweet (Courtesy of HuffingtonPost).

This exciting tale definitely displays the positives of social media and the benefits of being able to communicate more freely with popular celebrities and companies that you’d likely never meet otherwise.

Muthana managed to make his prom night truly unforgettable, by requesting something he probably didn’t even know was possible. This just leaves everyone else kicking themselves and thinking “why didn’t I think of that first?!”

The right ending for a series?

By RYAN HENSELER

Everyone has their favorite TV shows. Everyone knows those shows that draws you in and makes you genuinely care about the characters. Shows that you mindlessly binge watch on Netflix and end up knocking out multiple seasons in a weekend.

“Breaking Bad,” “The WireandGame of Thrones” are dramas that keep you on the edge of your seat. “Scrubs,” “The Office,” and a few other comedies achieve an interesting and great balance of laughs and genuine emotions.

One conundrum that all writers and creators must face at some point is the question of how to end a beloved show. Some opt to go with the classic happy ending. Some look to add a twist and shock viewers. Some, like “Breaking Bad,” end the series sadly, but remain true to the main character of the show.

This problem is thrown into the national spotlight and debated every time a long-running series reaches its conclusion. The most recent example came with the ending of CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother” last week.

If you haven’t seen the ending and want to, you may want to stop reading now.

The creators of the show, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, opted to try for the twist ending, and opinions are highly mixed on whether or not they succeeded. The creators opted to kill off the titular mother. The main character, Ted, was telling the story to his children six years after her death as a veiled way of asking their permission to ask out their “Aunt Robin,” one of the shows main characters and Ted’s off and on girlfriend during the show’s run.

The show has come under heavy fire from both viewers and critics for the finale. Those that disliked the ending have complained about the mother’s death itself and were also extremely disappointed to see Ted revert to a woman he supposedly “got over” many times and who also happens to be his best friend’s ex-wife.

The creators have said that this was the plan for the finale since the beginning and a final scene with the kids was shot during Season 2, before the actors outgrew their roles. However, many have said that the direction of the show has changed since then and the writers failed to account for it in the finale.

Essentially, this question proves that it’s impossible to please everyone, even those people who have remained loyal to a show for a long time.

Colbert shocks media as new host

By NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR

Since the announcement of David Letterman’s retirement from “late night” last week, rumors of who the new host for “The Late Show” on CBS would be went viral. After much speculation about Chelsea Handler and SNL alumni Amy Poehler, the network confirmed on Wednesday morning that the host would be Stephen Colbert.

This, unsurprisingly, took the news and entertainment media by storm.

What is so refreshing and bold of CBS’ choice is the host himself — he’s a satirist, comedian, writer, host, and producer — not many hosts have that on their resume. The network is hoping he will be the perfect competition for the neighborly network of NBC, which offers “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon and “Late Night” with Seth Meyers in its lineup — all three being hosts who represent a younger demographic of political, progressive, comedic, and sharp audience members.

In a classic “Colbert-esque” public statement, the comedian said,

“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead. I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth.”

This latest shake up in late night has received mostly positive reviews from the media and from social media, which is where I first heard of the news. However, Colbert’s infamous character from the show he hosted on Comedy Central for the past two decades, “The Colbert Report,” was quite a controversial one.

Suey Park, a writer and activist, who wrote an opinion post on Time.com about the matter, stated that,

“The main thing we’ve learned from #CancelColbert, and the outcome we now see as Colbert is elevated once again, is that the belittling the voices, activism, and writing of women of color is a profitable venture.”

Colbert’s portrayal as a satirical conservative has caused him to be as hated as he is loved due to his racist, stereotypical, and prejudice remarks—all made under the assumption that he is playing a “character” but, after 20 years, this has become a blurred line.

One thing is for sure, he will definitely be stirring up the “plain as toast” comedy routine that is “The Late Show” and the media are sure to love it.

Pharrell praises women in album

By NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR

Pharrell Williams, the award-winning producer, rapper-singer songwriter and recent Oscar nominee, has taken the media by storm due to the recent explanation of the title of his newest album, “G I R L.”

Columbia Records released the album on March 3, and although it has mixed reviews, its message is progressive. In comparison to the saturation of demeaning albums produced by rap and R&B artists of this decade, “G I R L” is a breath of fresh air.

The concept of the album was explained by Pharrell in an interview with GQ magazine , where he stated, “Women and girls, for the most part, have just been so loyal to me and supported me.”

This may seem like a shallow attempt to please a new and younger audience, yet it is still an impressive motive.

In contrast to his latest hit with Robin Thicke titled, “Blurred Lines,” which is a sexist song that sexually objectifies women, the album aims to focus on society’s skewed image of female sexuality rather than exploiting it.

In an interview with Zane Lowe backstage of the Brit Awards, Pharrell explained in clarity his reasoning for the album’s title and theme by stating,

“The reason why I named it “G I R L” in capital letters is because when you look at it, it looks a little weird. And the reason why it does is because society is a little unbalanced. And I just thought like, if I’m gonna make an album, I need to make an album that says everything that I’ve ever wanted to say, like dreamt of.”

The 41-year-old father and husband has made it clear that his new focus for 2014 and the future is to influence future generations of hip-hop and R&B artists to approach albums in a more progressive light. Pharrell added,

“I admire women in a lot of ways, but I needed to make sure that everyone knew that. On the surface, I do look and I do like them and I appreciate them in my little dirty ways here and there, but at the core, is what I’m telling you. We need them. Every living breathing human being on this planet regardless to your sexual orientation benefits from two things from a woman: the agreement to enter the act and the agreement to have you. So they have the power.”

Pharrell has managed to become one of the most influential hit makers in pop history, and his positive impact on pop culture, media, and entertainment is incomparable.

The first female late-night host?

By KYLA THORPE

David Letterman announced this week that he will be retiring from the “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2015.

This will definitely be a big change, as Letterman has been the longest serving late-night host in TV history, marking 32 years in 2014.

“Late Night” hosts are the fun journalists to me. They have to keep up with current events, and present it to their audiences with a humorous or interesting twist on things. Whether late-night talk show hosts began their careers in journalism or not, they have contributed significantly to the journalism world, staying honest with their opinions and keeping society informed.

The only thing that late-night hasn’t had yet is a female host.

Recently, talk show host and comedian, Chelsea Handler announced that she would be leaving her show “Chelsea Lately” on E! Network. Many of her adoring fans were afraid that she would disappear forever, but now there are rumors that she might possibly replace Letterman for his coveted late-night spot.

She might get it. If we’re following the trend of late-night, then she probably won’t. Handler would do well though. She’s funny, honest and knows what she’s talking about. There aren’t many women out there who could do late-night like she could.

Her show on E! Network was already late-night, but moving to a prime-time network would raise her to the top.

This would definitely be a shake-up, still. While she is adored by both men and women, late-night talk shows are predominately male. If she did get a slot, it would better represent a diversified journalism world. It’s not like the only editorial writers we respect are male. Late-night TV should start to reflect that.

It’ll be interesting to see where she eventually ends up. Her fans can at least be comforted that though she will be leaving E! Network, she’s not leaving television for good.

James Franco scandal: Publicity stunt?

By CLARA BENDAYAN

It’s no surprise that one’s privacy is becoming almost non-existent in this social media day and age.

Celebrities, especially, face major issues with their privacy being violated as there are paparazzi on virtually every corner waiting to snap a shot of their daily activities — no matter how trivial.

Many celebrities try to maintain private lives and tend to not divulge much personal information to the news media. However, some are known for their attention-seeking nature and try to pull publicity stunts to garner more fame.

This seems to be the question with the latest story involving a celebrity and a social media woe that has been unfolding for the past two days.

Actor James Franco, 35, allegedly exchanged phone conversations with a 17-year-old Scottish girl asking her to meet him at a hotel in New York.

Images of the phone conversation surfaced online shortly thereafter, as the girl was eager to share the evidence of conversing with a celebrity, placing Franco in a very awkward and unwanted position.

Screenshots of the Instagram video that fueled the scandal (Photo courtesy of HollywoodLife).

Screenshots of the Instagram video that fueled the scandal (Photo courtesy of HollywoodLife).

She’s since then deleted all of her social media accounts, no doubt due to the overwhelming attention she’s been receiving thanks to this scandal. However, pictures of the leaked conversation are still swirling around the Web.

Their interaction reportedly began when the Scottish teen, Lucy Clode, met Franco outside of his Broadway show, “Of Mice & Men.” She took an Instagram video of him and he reportedly told her to “tag him.”

They exchanged messages where Franco allegedly asked her how old she was, when her 18th birthday was, and what hotel she was staying at.

Franco then appeared on “Live! With Kelly and Michael” on Friday night and addressed the scandal.

One of the leaked conversations via Instagram. (Photo courtesy of HollywoodLife)

One of the leaked conversations via Instagram. (Photo courtesy of HollywoodLife)

“I mean I guess, you know, I’m embarrassed, and I guess I’m just a model of, you know, how social media is tricky,” said James Franco. “It’s a way people meet each other today. But what I’ve learned I guess just because I’m new to it is like, you don’t know who’s on the other end. You meet somebody in person and you get a feel for them but you don’t know who you’re talking to, and, you know? So I used bad judgment. I learned my lesson.”

The final question here is if this was a publicity stunt or if Franco actually used bad judgement and became another victim of social media. On the same day that the scandal occurred, the official trailer for his new film, “Palo Alto” hit the Web. Some people think it’s ironic that both things happened on the same day, leading many to believe that it’s a hoax for publicity.

Regardless of the final verdict, this incident clearly exemplifies the darker, more negative side of social media. Once something is released through social media, it’s irretrievable. Although the teen erased her social media accounts, the leaked conversations and photos exchanged are plastered all over the web, and it seems like this incident won’t be long soon forgotten.

Ultra: Hype and disaster

By PHOEBE FITZ

Ultra Music Festival is one of the largest EDM music festivals in the world, attracting more than 330,000 people from 80 different countries in 2013.

Advertisements, pictures, videos, blog posts and shoutouts for Ultra are found virtually everywhere on the Web when the festival approaches, but after this year, it is still in the news even after it’s completion.

With all the financial success, Ultra this year also brought its fair share of tragedy: a security guard was trampled and left fighting for her life with brain hemorrhaging and a broken leg, and a 21-year-old man mysteriously died. The news media are being flooded with these and other stories, bring this question to Miami’s authorities: Should there be an Ultra 2015 held in Miami?

The Miami Herald hosts a link on its website to a poll, asking, “Is hosting large festivals worth it?” and reports that both Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado and Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff are trying to end the festival’s presence in Miami. Emotional stories regarding the trampled security guard’s family continue to use the media to deter Ultra 2015 from happening in Miami.

Will they be successful?

Will Ultra be cancelled in 2015?

By NICK CARRA

Ultra Music Festival took place last weekend and, despite a pretty smooth weekend, some bumps were hit along the way.

The Contemporary Service Corporation provides security for the music festival and employee Erica Mack, 28, suffered a trampling incident Friday night while trying to stop a mob of unauthorized people from entering the concert ground. The crowd of people overran her and the fence between them, which collapsed on top of her causing head trauma and a broken leg.  She is now at Jackson Memorial hospital and is slowly recovering.

Officials and leaders of the City of Miami was very displeased with the accident.

The madness doesn’t stop there. A total of 84 arrests were made, 22 on Friday, 33 on Saturday, and 29 on Sunday.  Undercover cops also go to the festival as a way of combating the frequent use and sale of drugs to festival-goers.  In addition to the arrest, 24 people left Ultra Music Fest to go to the hospital this weekend, an unfortunate turn in a weekend meant to share the love for a genre of music among thousands of people.

Miami officials are now stating that they plan to cancel ultra next year. City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff expressed his opinion when he said “I think they have overstayed their welcome.” Last year, officials tried to cancel to festival due to gridlocked traffic, rowdy fans and increased drug usage during Miami Music Week. Ultra Music Festival may have seen the last of its days at Bayfront Park.

In terms of business Ultra should be fine.  Although Ultra began in Miami, festivals have launched in Ibiza, Chile, Buenos Aires and Tokyo.  On top of that, ticket prices reached up to $500 for a general admission ticket, and $800 for a VIP ticket.  Ultra also has a music label which produces electronic music across the globe.

Coverage of Ultra lacks details

By NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR

In 2013, about two dozen young adults were hospitalized after attending Ultra Music Festival in downtown Miami — but the media refused to cover these instances.

While rumors of overdoses, deaths and injuries rotate among numerous social media websites every year during Ultra Music Festival, no major news corporations seem to cover such events.

In order to find out whether the rumors are true, local Miami news organizations such as Miami New Times, investigated into the matter. Reporters discovered that Miami Fire Rescue did not have full information in regards to the matter other than that out of the 44 placed calls to 911, only 24 people were taken to the hospital. According to the Miami New Times:

“Police arrested 167 people at Ultra this year [in 2013], primarily for narcotics and gatecrashing. (Last year [in 2012], there were 78 arrests during the three-day event, 45 of them for narcotics, and more than 60 people were injured last year [in 2012].”

While these statistics are valid, they are not covered by the media nearly enough. People from the ages of 15 to 40 are attending this festival and many are doing so blindly of the health and safety risks the event entails. From the lack of transportation and water, to the non-existent cellular data service and overcrowding, the festival can be more dangerous than people think.

Yet, every year, thousands of electronic music fans from around the world continue to purchase $400 tickets for a three-day weekend where they most likely will get more sweat from surrounding attendees jumping to the beats of the music than they bargained for.

This weekend, March 28-30, there will most likely be ambulances on the festival grounds, but even more alarming will be the lack of reporters on the scene to document it.

Ultra 2014 is upon us

By RYAN HENSELER

As almost every UM student knows, this weekend is a big one. Why? That question can be answered in a single word.

Ultra.

The highly anticipated annual music festival is set to take Miami by storm this weekend, with most of the biggest names in EDM (Electronic Dance Music), making their way to South Florida from all over the world. Hardwell, Krewella, Zedd, Avicii, Martin Garrix, Jack U, and hundreds of other acts will perform this weekend in front of more than 50,000 spectators.

The excitement surrounding the weekend has been palpable around campus for the past couple of days. Everywhere you turn you hear it.

Ultra. Ultra. Ultra.

Tickets are being bought and sold among students at an impressive clip. If you take a peek at the Miami Students Facebook page, you are almost guaranteed to see posts such as, “Anybody want to buy my Sunday ticket? $150.”  or, “Is anybody still selling tickets? I need one!”

The event is huge for Miami every year, bringing in tourists from all over the country and from around the globe. Consequently, local Miami media often covers certain aspects of the festival, and just did a story today about the construction of the main stage.

The weekend is sure to be a memorable one, but anybody that is planning on attending, be sure to remain safe and healthy throughout the weekend!

Did Gaga’s performance go too far?

By CLARA BENDAYAN

There are many artists who leave their marks on society, be it in good or bad ways.

From the moment Lady Gaga stepped on the scene, we knew she was going to go down in music history as one of the most outspoken stars we’d seen in a while. Her crazy on-stage performance antics and theatrics and her outpouring of support for LGBT rights amassed her millions of fans that she endearingly calls her “little monsters.”

Recently, an event called South by Southwest took place in Austin, Texas, from March 11-16. It is a set of film, interactive, and music festivals that take place every year.

One would think there was enough drama and buzz at SXSW after a drunken driving incident left several people dead. Then, American rapper, Tyler the Creator allegedly started a riot that turned violent and was arrested during the festivities.

As if these events weren’t enough to put SXSW on the map, Lady Gaga came out and gave a performance that left many people enraged when she allowed a vomiting performance artist throw up on her onstage during her song.

In the middle of her performance, vomiting performance artist, Millie Brown, began to regurgitate a green liquid all over Lady Gaga’s chest and body.

Lady Gaga responded to criticism over her highly controversial performance by declaring it “art in its purest form.”

Many people disagreed. While some were merely disgusted by the vomiting, others took deep offense to what they believed her performance signified and glorified.

Much like the “Cutting For Bieber,” catastrophe that happened a while ago, fans of the artist took to Twitter and other social media sites to post pictures of themselves with their hands in their mouths, resembling the act of vomiting to support their favorite singer.

This led to an angry online petition, and celebs such as Demi Lovato accusing Gaga of “glamorizing eating disorders.”

One of Demi Lovato's many tweets.

One of Demi Lovato’s many tweets.

Lovato took to Twitter to express her shock at the incident to her 21.4 million followers.

“Sad …. As if we didn’t have enough people glamorizing eating disorders already. Bottom line, it’s not ‘cool’ or ‘artsy’ at all,” she tweeted. “Would you let someone bring a needle and shoot up on you? Addiction is addiction.”

She then directed a tweet to Lady Gaga herself and said, “you’re SO talented, if not one of the most talented in our industry PERIOD. Dope is INCREDIBLE.. but you don’t have to do that.”

“I guess we weren’t completely surprised,” said Gaga. “[Millie Brown] and I know that not everybody’s going to love that performance…we don’t make things for any intention in particular other than in the spirit of entertaining the crowd and creating something that is really for the moment.”

At the end of the day, some things are just not everyone’s cup of tea. However, I do believe that sometimes artists cross the line. You can love an artist and enjoy their music. But when they make mistakes and blur the lines between acceptable and distasteful, something has to be said.

The power of social media showed through as millions of people took to Twitter especially to vent about the issue. Whether it was Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” defending her and bashing Demi Lovato, or Demi Lovato’s “Lovatics,” retaliating, Twitter blew up with mentions of this unforgettable incident.

Where is fashion journalism going?

By KYLA THORPE

The April issue of Vogue has Kim Kardashian and Kanye West on the cover. Whether you think this is a big deal or not, it represents something major.

The famous couple, seen weekly on gossip magazines and websites, has made it to the top of the fashion industry, gracing the cover of the most influential fashion magazine in the world.

Already, there are people across this Internet who are not in favor of this cover. Vogue, though it predominantly focuses on fashion, is still a trusted journalism source. Putting these two on the cover has caused its readers to question where the magazine is going in the fashion journalism world.

Usually, on the cover, there is an actress with an upcoming movie, or a singer with a newly released album. While Kanye’s latest album was released last June, Kim hasn’t done anything recently that might warrant her to be held in such a high regard.

She didn’t enter into Hollywood through acting, singing, or modeling, and while she’s incredibly, “famous for being famous,” it’s usually people who are at the height of their respective careers who are seen on the cover of the grandiose magazine.

I feel like this shift has been happening from reputable news sources, across all platforms. While they would prefer to stick to writing and reporting on people who matter within their specific realms, it does better for the business of the company when the paper sells–meaning it has to be sellable.

Infamous celebrities certainly do sell. While Kim and Kanye can both be fashionable, they aren’t necessarily figures who people look up to, fashionably.

I still love Vogue and many people will too, but this cover sends a message that journalism is turning more into a business rather than a creative outlet.

It will probably sell many copies and be widely read, but putting Kim and Kanye on the cover might have cost the magazine some respect.