#mediablog

Countless examples of patterns exist throughout modern media. The storyline formats in cinema and theater are replicated so often that they became a model pushed onto viewers. Plotlines make people crave an exciting life, and character developments cause young minds to strive toward perfection in society's eyes. Singing in the rain, Mamma Mia, Dear Evan Hansen, Phantom of the Opera, and countless others showcase characters moving forward in the plot, grasping ideal happiness, which correlates to how society perceives and portrays people. Broadway's Anastasia, however, breaks many of the unspoken rules set down by its predecessors. Class, race, and gender are portrayed not as strict guidelines for the creators but as fuel for revolutionary language. Whenever such normalities are brought to light in Anastasia, the characters refute it through their morals, actions, and of course, lyrics.

Let us break down Anastasia's rebellion against normalcy, starting with discussing the most prominent theme of the production, class structure. The opening sequence takes place in the young Anastasia's bedroom. As a royal family member, her room is filled with silk fabrics, beautiful furniture, and polished floors. Her father, Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov, is seen in his formal wear before attending a lavish party. Despite the elegant scene, the hungry citizens of Russia raided the palace and killed the Romanov family. In a single number, Russia's entire class structure flipped onto its back, and the story was set into motion. Beginning the plot, however, is not the only time class structure is relevant to the story. In the song "Rumor in St. Petersburg", St. Petersburg's citizens displayed how terrible the class system can truly be. With the lines "We stand beside our leaders and stand in line for bread" and "Two dozen total strangers live in two small rooms," the singers paint a country filled with hungry stomachs and a considerable gap between the wealthy and poor. 

Broadway and other American structured productions often show the government as stable or do not allude to government at all. As previously mentioned, the media shows the way viewers should act to be perceived as perfect. Rebellious behavior is not civil and, therefore, is not shown as often. If the show has other forms of breaking presenting class structure, like Mean Girls' Regina George, the show portrays people as the antagonists. However, Anastasia shows the patriarchal system and widespread belief of some above others as the real enemy. In many plays and movies, Anastasia's plot would write Gleb, the loyal Soviet military man, as the easy antagonist. Yet, this version's creators decided to direct the audience's attention toward another, the system of hate bred in government. Gleb has been granted much power in the Soviet government, and nevertheless, he doubts the morals behind it. His dilemma of trying to choose whether to kill Anya is immediate and carries through all of his thoughts. Gleb loves Russia and believes burying the past is what is best for its citizens, but he recognizes Anya as human. During the song "Quartet at the Ballet," Gleb sings in reference to Anya, "She's near at hand, yet here I stand. My heart and mind at war." In this play, morals are the friend; hate is the only real enemy. 

Fighting against class structure is not the only way Anastasia breaks society's unspoken rules. Gender roles are almost nonexistent in the central trio of characters. The only example of such roles can be seen in Demitri. He is a strong male lead who has grown up having to fight for himself. While this is a background often seen in male roles, the way Demitri handles himself contradicts many everyday perceptions of men. In "Everything to Win," Demitri sings about his insecurities for the future. He knows he may never see Anya again and is glad she will be with her family, but Demitri reveals how much he wishes to stay by her side. He fell in love with her  powerful, stubborn, and hotheaded nature. These aspects of Anya also help demonstrate how the creators of Anastasia broke traditional gender roles.

Vlad is the last member of the iconic trio and is also not how many would imagine the pinnacle of man. He is quite a diva and loves to get attention. In the song "The Press Conference," Vlad pushes Lily out of the way to speak with the paparazzi. He even spells his name out letter by letter to make sure the press can write about him. He is a knowledgeable character and made his way in the world by using his mind and socializing with the royals. The cautious one in the trio, Vlad, is older and not as athletically capable as Demitri, thus hindering him from being a toxically masculine character. 

Influencer Marketing, or How Reggie Fils-Aimé Makes Me Spend More Money on Video Games Than I Really Should 

If you’re anything like me, you hate the word “influencer”. It brings to mind some talentless hack with an Instagram account who gets paid to take pictures of their Daniel Wellington watch. But as I’ve discovered this week, influencer marketing can be so much more than that.

What is an influencer?

According to an article from the Huffington Post, the definition influencer marketing is simply “the action of promoting and selling products or services through people (influencers) who have the capacity to have an effect on the character of a brand”.

That last part is what jumps out at me the most – the character of a brand. A single person can have a huge impact on the way we feel about a brand and its products. For example, Steve Jobs, in his black turtleneck and round glasses, helped position Apple as a smart and sophisticated brand every time he spoke on stage.

Who is Reggie Fils-Aimé , and why is he taking all of my money?

It’s no secret that I’m a big Nintendo fan – I’ve been hooked since the first time I played Pokemon Silver on the GameBoy Color in 1999. That’s why I want to talk about Reggie Fils-Aimé as an example of influencer marketing done right. 

Since 2006, Reggie Fils-Aimé has been the President and COO of Nintendo of America. Typically, company executives aren’t all that well known – do you know who runs Sony, Target, or P&G? Even if you do know their names, you have to admit that they don’t have much of an effect on the overall character of the brand they represent. But every Nintendo fan knows and loves “The Regginator”, and there are countless memes out there to prove it.  

It all started in 2004, when Fils-Aimé was still VP of Nintendo of America. Before that year’s E3 press conference, Nintendo’s brand image was very conservative and family-friendly. And then Fils-Aimé got on stage and opened with this:

Suddenly, Nintendo’s “E for everyone” reputation was thrown off balance - Reggie brought a dash of chaos to a very neutral brand, and the fans loved it. 

How do advertisers use influencer marketing?

Ok, so what do one man’s silly antics have to do with Nintendo’s marketing strategy?

When a brand has a superstar, the best thing they can do is embrace it – and that’s exactly what Nintendo did. In the past decade, Nintendo has taken advantage of Fils-Aimé ’s odd but lovable personality by making him the star of almost every E3 in the past decade, and it’s a strategy that’s paid off. Promotional skits and interviews that Fils-Aimé appears in often go viral on gaming news sites, Twitter, and Tumblr. More people tune into Nintendo’s livestreams when they know that the Regginator is going to be making an appearance.

Inspired by the beloved 1997 film, Anastasia The Musical is about a young woman setting out determined to discover the mystery of her past. Although many believed Meg Ryan's portrayal of Anastasia to be a Disney princess, the movie was actually produced by Fox Animation Studios. I will admit, when I first heard about Anastasia being on Broadway, I was not interested. There have been countless Broadway shows that are simple renditions of someone else's successful work. Take Mean Girls as an example. The original film made in the early 2000s has become a generational classic. Recently, Tina Fey and others went to work on a show for the stage with the same plotline and characters but adding in some songs. Don't get me wrong, the show is funny, and Taylor Lauderman's performance as Regina George is outstanding. However, no one can deny Broadway's Mean Girls was not original material. Riding off past creations' success is something industries have done for years, and it isn't going to stop anytime soon. People want to make money, so why not utilize content that's already made millions?

It's an adequate strategy for many broadway musical writers, but it isn't my preferred method of expressing creativity. So, when I saw an advertisement for the Broadway version of Anastasia, a frown came across my face. The film had been a childhood favorite of mine, and I would have hated to see it ruined by people trying to make a short-lived show. Thankfully, I didn't have to. As many know, the villain in the film version of Anastasia was Rasputin, an evil man who lost his soul while killing the Romanov family. So, when considering whether or not to watch the Broadway version, I wondered how they would portray Rasputin. He had many powers that would be quite difficult to replicate on stage. This curiosity was the reason I sat down and watched Broadway's Anastasia. 

I could not have been happier to find out that the new show's creators put a spin on the original film. Instead of Rasputin, the main antagonist was the Russian revolution. This is much more historically accurate and even slightly more entertaining. It more easily allows your mind to suspend reality and submerge yourself into the world the actors are trying to convey. 

Along with the genius change of antagonists, Christine Altomare, Derek Klena, Ramin Karimloo, and John Bolton played Anastasia, Dmitri, Gleb, and Vlad (in that order) perfectly. I could not have cast the show better myself. In fact, I doubt anyone could pull off the premiered characters with more skill. Every aspect of physical representation, personality quirks, and all of the beautiful songs I fell in love with from the first film is portrayed and put on stage. New songs such as "Still," the classic "Once Upon A December" are both included and used to create a stunning performance. I cannot express how grateful I am that I gave this show a chance. It has quickly made its way to my heart and will forever be one of my favorites.

The juxtaposition between old and new melded together in Michael Gracey’s, The Greatest Showman. In a 2018 interview with Playbill, Gracey described his goals with the film as “creating another realm of belief.” With painted backgrounds and thought out set design, Gracey stepped away from modern usage of a large green screen filled room to create a more visually believable atmosphere. He also made sure to include grandiose dance sequences in numbers like “A Million Dreams.” The scene in which P.T. Barnum and his wife, Charity Barnum, were on top of their roof, dancing elegantly between the laundry sheets hanging on clotheslines, Gracey claims is inspired by scenes from the 1964 film Mary Poppins. Simultaneously, however, Gracey utilizes modern camera tracking work and cut away techniques to envelop the viewer and make the audience lean into the performance.

After watching The Greatest Showman, I was infatuated. The film gave bursts of joy and excitement for life. The newfound lightness was not due to the techniques used to create the film a Gracey intended, however. The part which thrilled me was the inclusivity throughout the music, cast, and the overall representation of how society views minorities. People who do not fit the blueprint others have set forth are often judged and ostracized. For me, The Greatest Showman showcased how I could still live a fulfilled life, although I was born with disabilities and in the LGBTQ+ community. The film made me feel supported and motivated to take on the world and show the cynics just what I can do.