Media Deconstruction

Qwest is Becoming CenturyLink

I do not disagree with the deconstruction.  It’s well known that internet service providers (ISPs) in the US overcharge and under-serve.  There is very little competition in that market, so it’s easy for these companies to take advantage of their users with little worry for losing customer base.  In fact, although the ad shows the acquisition of Qwest as a means for CenturyLink to provide more for its customers, the fact is that the acquisition only further contributes to the monopoly of ISPs, and gives customers even fewer options to turn to when they are frustrated with lack of service through CenturyLink.  I do not know much about CenturyLink, but one could easily delete that and add in Verizon, Comcast, or Frontier and have similar gripes.  In fact, I am part of that under-served customer base.  For a year and a half I lived in a cabin in West Milford (Harrison County) minutes from town, and I could not get any type of internet service aside from expensive and slow satellite internet through Hughes Net.  Frontier, Shentel, Comcast…not one of these companies was willing to wire my house for internet.  This is in Harrison county, so I can hardly imagine the difficulties faced by people in rural New Mexico (I have friends who lived “off the grid” in Taos…it’s pretty remote in lots of places out there). 

What Affordability Means to AllTel

I agree with the claims made in AllTel deconstruction, as well.  When they showed the men in the bedroom I spent a few minutes trying to figure out what nationality they might be.  It looks like the creators of the commercial took a mishmash of several cultures to create the men in that bedroom.  While this is probably a protective measure, so no one minority group can raise concerns over the commercial, it also generalizes the interpretation of “foreigners”.  The commercial promotes racism by generalizing the immigrants.  They are playing instruments, dancing, speaking intelligibly, and they have a chicken with them.  This fits the stereotype that many Americans may buy into, but it does not represent actual immigrants.  I've seen more chickens in my suburban white friends’ backyards than I have ever seen with any immigrants.   

My interpretation of the CenturyLink commercial probably would not have been quite the same, because I did not know the facts about access that were shared in the deconstruction.  It’s easy to see that commercial and believe the message that they are joining forces with Qwest to reach more people.  However, the deconstruction provides information that refutes this claim.  I would have definitely deconstructed and interpreted the AllTel commercial in much the same way as the woman in the video did.  I especially am bothered by the portrayal of the immigrants, although the commentary made on the middle class also bothers me.  It is especially concerning when put into perspective with the actual costs of their service, which is not cheap whatsoever!