Week 5 analysis

My step son just got a new radio system for his car. I hate it when I would pull up to a red light and there is a car close to me with a really loud sound system in it. I like to listen to the radio also, but I like to hear what the signers are saying, not just a boom boom boom every few seconds. He pulled up out front and the windows started to shake. I just don't understand it. So I asked him why he likes it. His answer was "because its cool". Granted, he has it wired together right, or at least I think so, and it doesn't sound like his car is falling apart when he turns it up loud, but why on earth would you subject yourself to such torment? The sound has to hurt their ears, because it hurts mine and I'm not even in the car! I asked my youngest step son, he said it was like a game, to see who has the loudest radio and can still make it sound good. I thought to my self, 'If you think that sounds good, I'd be afraid to see what sounds bad to you". The thumping drowns out any music that could be playing. It seems like the boys would get tired of the loud noise and not being able to carry on conversations with their friends who are in the car with them. But they don't, not yet any way. They both still have a lot of maturing to do, I guess.

Assignment 4-3 Heroeo and Celebrities

According to the Websters New World Dictionary, the differences between heroes and celebrities are similar. The definition of a hero would be someone, especially a man, who is admired for having great courage or nobility. or the main character in a novel, as a celebrity is said to be a person of fame. One can be a hero and a celebrity. The hero would become a celebrity for his/her heroic acts.
It is important to have a hero in our society because it gives people hope. My example of a hero would be god, because he had the courage to stand up for what he believed when no other would. God gives us hope. For some even strength to do things they thought to be impossible for them to complete. The believe in god or any other superior being, gives us other options as people think of life and after life. Just as Superman gave people hope that all the mishapping would stop if he were there to protect them.
A celebrity stems from society's own wants and needs. A celebrity, as previously stated, is someone who is famous. A person could become famous for many things. My example of a celebrity would be Britney Spears. She became famous a few years ago for her young talent, then kept up her celebrity status by negatively staying int he media with her actions. To this day, she is still considered a celebrity because she is said to be trying to clean up her act and continue with her singing career.
I personally have not been on to drool over any person in a celebrity position since the Spice Girls. I don't see how it is practical to spend lots of time following the celebrity buzz and still be able to focus on my work and other priority's that are more important. I cannot get into the whole celebrity scene. It doesn't make much sense to be that into a person, who one will never really know as they know there own family or friends. This action would not benefit me in any way, besides to be able to strike up small talk with others.
I believe our culture thrives on the existence of heroes and celebrities. People want to be able to believe in something, this brings everything to life. A hero is needed for role model purposes, just as a celebrity. People need that special someone in order to make decisions, rather it be right or wrong. Everyone has someone like this, rather it be a childhood friend who had a great impact on the way you chose to life, or it be someone like Britney Spears and her influence on the way you wear your hair.
The sudden growth of reality television shows, such as The Amazing Race and Survivor, are due to society's need to identify with the celebrity world. People really like to be able to see other people, who are not much different then themselves, completing everyday activities. This helps people realize that they are or aren't better off then some and also gives them something to compare them selves to.
My example of a Popular reality television show would be Survivor, everyone one the show must survive on limited accessories. The participants re basically required to life off of the land where they are placed on, working together to make shelter and find food. This shows people that everyone must do what they have to to survive. If it is waking at whatever time in the night to fix a leaky roof or going a few long hours hunting for food, people have it in them to survive, no matter what the circumstance.
At the end of the show, each week, one member the one of the two tribes, or teams will be voted off. This is similar to the way our culture looks for a quick fix. Our culture looks for scapegoats to fix small problems that could just as easily be corrected with time. The fastest way to get to the end result. This ensures that our culture will always use this approach to fixing some of life's biggest issues.

Week 4 analysis

Christmas started back before Halloween, with many stores displaying all those blow up lawn globes and different color garland. The early morning shows, such as Good Morning America, have started early also. They have been entertaining and promoting those early 'sales'. Why is it such a big deal to start Christmas early?

I spend alot of time on my boat in lake Erie in the summer. At one of the islands, they have Christmas in July. The WHOLE island decorates for Christmas, the bars and restaurants have drink and meal specials for the holiday and there are Christmas parades and gift giving at certain times. All the boats docked at the island have blow up trees, Christmas lights and garland on them. I love Christmas, but not all year long. The one month I get for it, is enough. I have to admit, however, as soon as thanksgiving was over, the turkey decor went away the the Christmas decor was pulled out. But I didn't start before Halloween was been over. I Believe Christmas started early this year because of the economy, The retail stores started decorating early because they wanted to try to soothe the economy's soul. The stores felt that if they went on with their regular sales and promoted Christmas early, then America would think that the economy is looking up.

Assignment 3-3 'My Favorite......'

My Favorite Movie, O Brother Where Art Thou, has many stereotypes present throughout the movie. One of the biggest negative stereotypes, is that of an inmate. Inmates are said to be unintelligent, and bad tempered, with a 'street smart' sense. This is clear with the three main characters, Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar. Ulysses seems to step up to be the leader, because he is most qualified because of his fast talking sense and his 'street smarts' Pete is bad tempered, as he is always trying to be uncooperative with Ulysses plans. Delmar is a dimwitted, naive fellow who is compassionate about helping other people. The three fit the description of a criminal who has escaped from a prison, especially during the time period in which it was set in.

About half way through the movie, the three come across a group of 3 young women, singing and cleaning laundry in the woods. Pete makes Ulysses pull the car they stole over, Pete takes off running toward the sound of the young women. Ulysses and Delmar follow him to find these three young women. They stay with the women and end up drunk. Ulysses and Delmar pass out from the alcohol and wake to find that Pete is gone. His clothes were all that was left, with a toad in them. Delmar takes the toad, convinced that the women changed him into this toad, and makes a home for it in a shoe box. Later they find out that Pete was found by the prison and taken and beat until he gave up his friends. Pete never gave in to the prison warden. Seduction is said to lead to bad or mischievous things, in this stereotype, the women seduce Pete, get the fellows drunk and get Pete caught by the people they were running from.

Shortly after the three are split by the women singing, Ulysses and Delmar and the toad, Pete, meet a 'bible salesman'. This salesman has the two take him to a field to have lunch and talk about a business opportunity. Once the three are in this field, the bible salesman takes their money, beats them up and kills the toad, Pete. This is a negative stereotype of a salesman, a greedy, fast talking, man who can make one believe the sky is green the the grass is blue. The salesman, played by John Goodman, is exactly this. He convinced Ulysses and Delmar that he meant business and he could help them if they helped him. In the long run, the salesman got what he set out for, stolen money and car.

Delmar and Ulysses are finally reunited with Pete and the tree come across a church who is performing baptism ceremony's int he river in the woods. Pete and Delmar are drawn to the sound of singing. When they reach the river, Pete and Delmar are baptised as Ulysses looks on with pity. This is a positive stereotype of the church in this time period. People would flock to the river behind the church to get baptised.

Stereotypes emerge because people need to way to describe certain things. Sometimes these are negative, sometimes positive, but either way, stereotypes are used to bring life to a subject. For example, if I were trying to describe someone who sold cars, I would say he/she is a typical salesman. This would tell the person whom I am describing to, that the person is always trying to see what will benefit him/her.

Week 3 analysis

Magazines are a big part of popular culture by relaying messages, sometimes true or false, to readers off all kinds. I have a subscription to the Rachael Ray magazine. I like to read her recipes and add a few little twists of my own to meals. Within her magazine, there are many advertisements of many different things. When I fit started to get her mag, there were not many pages of advertisements, just a few and a few pages of Rach's favorite things that listed about 5 items with the price and where you could find them. As the months passed, I noticed that the magazine was getting thicker, but there were not more recipes, just advertisements. There was just two pages of Rach's favorite things in the first issue, next thing I knew there were a lot of Rach's favorite things pages and a lot more pages designated for other advertisement, such as the newest brand of cover girl lipstick or a advertisment about a delightful butter. I just skim through her magazine now, I used to read almost every page, but I don't have the time to read 100 pages of a magazine, half of which are advertisements.

Initial Post

Popular culture is all around everyone. It is the guide in which the United States Lives by. Popular Culture surrounds each person everyday with music, entertainment, our likes, dislikes, and fads. "Popular Culture is a way of doing life, for better of for worse, desired or undesired." (Browne, pg. 8, 2005) This is everything that high culture (the elite) and folk culture are not. Having knowledge of and understanding pop culture is an important step in coming to relieze the world around you. One must be able to define what is going on around them to read between the lines, to see that things are or aren't what they seem. There is also a deeper meaning to just about anything then what is seen on the surface.


The image I choose to represent pop culture would be an image of a market. This is something everyone utilizes. This is always around and it is a part of life whether we like it or not. I hate to go the the grocery store, but if I want to eat with out spending lots of money doing it, Id Better.

Pop Culture helps us decide what clothes to wear in the mornings or what products you choose to complete everyday tasks such as brushing your teeth or filing invoices at work.

References
Browne P.,(2005)Profiles of Popular Culture:A Reader,Wisconsin: Popular Press