Media messages are increasingly packaged in ways that blur distinctions between genres. The U.S. Army National Guard's recent campaign incorporating rock stars and popular music to appeal to potential recruits exemplifies this trend, as commercials and music videos become one and the same. Given this increasing trend, critical media literacy education is imperative. This article posits that by introducing the meta-language for discussing media and providing a protocol for exploring the mode, audience, purpose, and situation of media messages, teachers are preparing students to autonomously read media through a critical lens.