Weekly Analysis 4-1

Hero or celebrity, when should you use these terms? The answer seems to be unclear; the term hero represents someone of great courage and strength, someone who sacrifices their own safety to save the world or lead a great cause. The term celebrity is synonymous with people of extreme popularity, being widely known throughout the world, being famous. The term celebrity is best associated with stars from the motion picture screen or from the theater, or artists that have sold millions of records. The excerpt, “The Politics of Moviemaking,” (Austerlitz, 2007) speaks of the new CNN, referring to society’s acceptance of movies and documentaries as a celebrity of news and information. The American people previously relied on news stations such as MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN to receive up-to-date information involving the world and its many counterparts, unfortunately people felt they were not getting a clear point of view and began making movies of a political nature to entertain but also inform the public of what it was missing. A few such films highlighted in the article were, Fahrenheit 9/11, by Michael Moore, Elephant, by Gus Van Sant’s and Outfoxed, by Robert Greenwald. (Austerlitz 2007) Each film highlighted very controversial and sensitive topics that certain conservative classes of society did not want addressed, however because of the nature of the films and the wide spread popularity they in their own right have caused celebrity status to be achieved. According to Ray Browne, “Heroes come in different sizes at different stages in a nation’s development. When a nation is young and naïve, heroes stand ten feet tall, but when people are more advanced, more sophisticated and cynical heroes are the same size and even some times dwarf like.” In reading this I believe this to have merit, when the nation was still young in its thinking and development and African American people were fighting for freedom and equal rights pioneers such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks fought for what they believed to be change for all people, a better way of life for all. With such radical ideas and great dedication to their causes they are seen as cultural icons and contributors to the myth of the American Dream, where you can have it all if you work hard and abide by the rules. In the beginning I mentioned that sometimes the lines are blurred between celebrity and hero, but is it possible to be both? I would say yes, I believe that in order to reach hero status you must first achieve celebrity status, you must have the popularity to intrigue people in every society realm as well as various cultures, whether the publicity be good or bad society will push you into the arena it sees fit for you. References Austerlitz, S. (2007). The politics of moviemaking: Movies. M. Petracca., & M. Sorapure (Fifth Edition). Common culture: reading and writing about American popular culture (pp.533-543). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall Browne. R. B. (2005). Heroes with 2000 faces. Myths. R. Browne., & P. Browne. Profiles of popular culture: a reader (pp.16-23). Wisconsin: Popular Press

Reference to journal

TAYLOR, A. (2007). He's Gotta Be Strong, and He's Gotta Be Fast, and He's Gotta Be Larger Than Life: Investigating the Engendered Superhero Body. Journal of Popular Culture, 40(2), 344-360. Retrieved Sunday, November 23, 2008 from the Academic Search Premier database.

journal article link

here is the link to the journal article: http://0-search.epnet.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu:80/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=24195723

Rituals 3-2

What is my understanding of the word “ritual?” My understanding of ritual is a ceremony or act that is performed at a certain point in a person’s life or at a certain time of year. A ritual can be passed down from generation to generation giving it meaning and purpose. All the rituals observed are not necessarily huge but simply something we do with routine. Merriam-Webster defines ritual as, “the established form for a ceremony; a ceremonial act or action; and an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set precise manner.” What rituals do you observe in our society? In our society we observe the rituals of the holiday season; many families enjoy celebrating thanksgiving with huge gatherings, and then this time of year leads us into the ritual of Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa based on your religious beliefs. In January, society will be watching as on its 44th Presidential inauguration takes place in Washington D.C., society recently took place in watching the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing, China Aug.8-24. What rituals do you observe in your family? In my family we observe the rituals of the holiday season, we celebrate Christmas with family and friends, we never open our gifts until Christmas day, and we always dine at home first and then go from house to house. We observer the ritual of birthdays, although each year we do something new it is the remembrance to observe the day, and at our family gatherings we make it a point to perform the ritual of telling family stories and instilling religious values. Every two weeks I groan about the ritual of allowance giving to the children. Are there any rituals that you can identify that are prevalent today? If so, what are they? In religious cultures the ritual of baptismal or christening is just as important in today’s society as it has been in past generations. Parents believe that it is their job to lay the ground work for religious beliefs and traditions, starting with the baptismal or christening. Two rituals that are constantly taking place are marriages and funerals; in each culture these ceremonies are done in specific ways to honor tradition and to uphold the significance and integrity of the ceremony. What ritual would you like to develop for either our society or your family? For my family I would like to start the ritual of a family reunion. My family is extremely large and it is impossible to know who all of them are but I believe even getting the immediate aunts and uncles together would be a great start and then branch out into other areas, dealing with second and third generations. As a society we celebrate the fourth of July, symbolizing independence, I would like for society to celebrate once a year its collective differences together, not individually. Every year you can find parades that honor African Americans, or Latinos, or Asians, the homosexual community, religious affairs and anything else you can think of, but we cannot seem to come together at one time to simply honor or celebrating just being who we are different in so many ways.

Presentation Outline 1930-1945

Outline for Culture and Society: Interactions (1930-1945 Movies) Brief description of the 1930’s, the Great Depression Wall street crashing 1929 led to money being in short supply Inexpensive entertainment options: parlor games, board games and moves became very popular “Hollywood Golden Ages” The Production Code of 1930 and revised in 1934 Rules and Regulations in reference to movie making Movie quotes from 1930-1945 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Gone With the Wind (1939) The Wizard of OZ (1939) References American History 1930-1939. (2008). American cultural history: theater and film. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade30 Movie Lookup. (2008). Films in review. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://www.filmsite.org Production Code. (2008). What was the production code? Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-was-the-production-code.htm

Weekly Written Analysis 3-1

As I read the passages from the daytime soap “Days of Our Lives” (Soap Opera Digest, 2003), I can’t help but to reminisce on when I was younger over my grandmothers house, my grandmother would let you do anything you wanted until 12:30 pm and then her soaps came on and you had two choices to sit down, be quiet and watch or go outside and play for the next three hours. With the change in economic growth and family needs very few grandmothers or mothers are sitting down to watch soaps, the old stereotype of having all day to sit in front of the TV and watch your soaps is a thing of the past, many of those women who used to be at home watching midday TV have now been become a part of working America outside the home. According to an article written by Rebecca Detken on Yahoo Blog, “daytime soaps are doomed,” soap operas have lost their appeal with weakening storylines and poor creativity. They are unable to draw in the younger viewers, when the younger generations have so many other options on how to spend their time. The culture and direction of TV has even changed, people are no longer watching basic television for their daily fix they now look to find excitement and escape on cable TV, with its reality shows, music stations and on demand channels. References Detken. R. (2008, November 20). Are daytime soaps doomed? Retrieved November 21, 2008. www.tv.yahoo.com/blog 2003. July 8. Days of our lives. Soap opera digest in R. Browne (2005) Profiles of popular culture. pp.112-114

Icon Analysis

According to free dictionary.com an Icon is an image or representation; an important and enduring symbol; or one who is the object of great attention and devotion; an idol. An icon has the capacity to cross not only generational barriers but social and economic barriers as well. Knowing this I have chosen three icons, the first representing our youth, the second representing great strength, courage and how to be a leader, the last representing a time in our daily lives when we forget about what is wrong with the world and celebrate what is good and peaceful. My icons are “Winne-the-Pooh, Muhammad Ali, and Santa Claus.” Looking at this, one might say what a strange combination, and yes I would agree, however each icon represents something valuable that we are slowly losing as a society. First, Winne-the-Pooh first appeared in December 1925, when what became the first chapter of the book Winnie-the-Pooh was commissioned as a Christmas story by London's Evening News. (Wikipedia, 2008) Winne-the-Pooh touches people on a personal level; it does not represent the rich or the poor, the educated or non-educated, not even the young or old it represents the innocence and trust of a boy and the time shared with friends. Winnie-the-Pooh exists in American eyes because of a boy named Christopher Milne and his love for his teddy bear and a bear named Winnipeg in the London Zoo. This innocence is what we decorate our children nurseries and rooms with; spend billions of dollars each year on books, stuffed animals, DVD’s and more. In 1993, the Walt Disney Company acknowledged that Pooh Bear is second only to Mickey Mouse in their portfolio of the most-loved and trusted characters known to millions of people all the world over. By 1996, after the second release of 'the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh', the Bear of Very Little Brain had proved to be more popular than any other Disney character. (Wikipedia, 2008) Secondly, Muhammad Ali. When you hear his name your mind is instantly drawn to the man who was a champion in the ring. However, many of us also know of Muhammad Ali as a champion and crusader outside of the ring. He is the most recognizable man on earth. And over forty years after he burst onto the scene as a gold-medal winner at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Muhammad Ali remains a magical figure, known and loved throughout the world. (Ali) An icon is someone who is the object of great attention and devotion; this is the exact definition of Muhammad Ali. Over the many, many years his name has been associated with controversy, conflict and great debate, his views and opinions on the war stemmed his actual name change from Cassius Clay. Many facts are known about Muhammad Ali but it is the combination of his humanitarianism, his artistry, and his passion for leading that has the world so in awe of his many talents. He is respected and loved by people of all races, cultures and backgrounds; his awareness for change has lead to his recognition in the ring and outside, earning him numerous awards and honors. Thirdly, in honor of the season approaching I chose Santa Claus, known in every country, every culture and every household. The name Santa Claus has been translated a variety of times, in Italian he is Babbo Natale, in Spain he is Papa Noel, and in French we call him Pere Noel. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not the image of a jolly old man in a red suit, belted at the waist carrying a sack full of toys is known by kids and adults worldwide. There are many variations to the tale of Santa Claus, but the premise in all of them remain the same, he travels at night with his sleigh and reindeer while delivering toys and gifts to good little boys and girls. Santa Claus is the tradition of Christmas; his job is to help us as a society be a little nicer to each other and a little more giving this time of year. To marketers and merchandisers he is one of the biggest marketing tools for advertisement of new toys, and products geared toward the young and old. As the season approaches department stores and malls everywhere will be hiring someone to play Santa, to draw in parents and grandparents alike, just to have their little ones picture taken on his knee. The stores ultimately profit because the object is to tell Santa what you want and then the moms and dads can buy it, increasing the stores sales and profits. The spirit of Santa Claus and the goodness he represents has become diluted in the popularity of gift giving.

References Ali. (2008). The official site of Muhammad Ali. Retrieved, November 15, 2008, from http://www.ali.com Icons. (n.d.) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2003). Retrieved November 15 2008 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Icons Winnie-the-Pooh. (2008, November 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved, November 15, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Winnie-the-Pooh&oldid=250593451

Weekly Analysis 2-1

How many times have you asked, “does this dress make me look fat?” or you say, “I just don’t like the way I look, I wish I could lose five pounds.” In today’s culture a person’s self-image is outweighed by what society perceives to be beautiful. In days past this stigma was directed mainly towards women, but in modern culture it is now being impressed upon men. This dilemma has led to a new body disorder called “muscle dysmorphia or bigorexia.”(Browne, 2005. p70) When I first read about bigorexia, my thought was you must be kidding right, so I reread the passage to find out more about muscle dysmorphia. According to about.com, men’s health report, July 21, 2006, muscle dysmorphia is described as having the thought that no mater how hard you try your body is never muscular enough. This misconception has stemmed from our young boys believing that they should be built like the action figures they play with or the stereotypes they see on T.V. The biggest culprits behind their low self-esteem are superheroes and sports figures of today. They have taken over what boys and men now see as the perfect male body. Every time I turn on my T.V. I am bombarded with one false image or another, from baseball players to WWF wrestlers, the media glorifies what men should look like in order to considered acceptable. In researching this topic there are few articles to be seen, I believe that educating the young men on the consequences of this disabling disease is very important, effects such as excessive acne, breast enlargement, impotence, baldness, and testicular shrinkage. Unfortunately, no matter how much our young men are warned I believe until the popular opinion in today’s culture is changed and it is no longer about, “who is the biggest” or “who is the strongest” we will continue to have boys and men suffering from this sickness just as many of today’s women are still suffering from anorexia. References About.com (2006, July, 26). Bigorexia: reverse anorexia. Retrieved November 14, 2008, from http://www.menshealth.about.com/cs/menonly Browne, R. (2005) Profiles of popular culture. The University of Wisconsin Press: Popular Press.

Weekly Analysis 1-3

Reality TV: A new way to find love. Back in the good ole’ days, as they are so graciously called, a boy would see a girl he thought was pretty, he would ask to court her and eventually they would wed. As the years went by and time progressed so did the idea of how love could be found. In 1965, Chuck Barris created the game show, “the Dating Game,” the concept took a single man or woman, and tried pairing them with their perfect mate. The objective was to ask a variety of questions to a panel of 3 contestants and based on their answers determine which one is best for them. As with many trends in pop culture one idea leads to spin-offs and copy cat shows. For today’s generation we have VH-1’s, “Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, I Love New York, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila and the most recent Real Chance at Love,” the premise is the same as on each show the main character or characters is looking for love by pairing off with a variety of men or women and in some cases both. As a society we have gone in the opposite direction of what used to be acceptable in the dating world. The methods once used to find true love are now seen as boring and unconventional. Dating is now done over the internet and reality TV. With the actual reality being that no one can expect to find true love with 15 different cameras, 15 different men and women all being alternated in and out of their bedroom in a matter of weeks. What does this say for us as a society, that we are to busy to take the time and develop own our relationship, or that we have become so callous and engrossed in seeing someone else make a fool of themselves for so called love that we continue to promote shows of this nature.

Pop Culture:

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to me? Pop culture is everything that we accept and latch onto that is happening or hot right now. It the latest of something new and the return of what was once considered old. Pop culture is having the hottest shoes, clothes, or hairstyle, is determined by its audience and what the majority in your particular click accepts. To me pop culture means having standing out above the rest and getting all of the attention because of it. Pop culture means competition to be the best and always have one up on the next guy. Pop culture means I have a reason to be different, it provides an outlet to do and to explore different avenues without recourse because someone else finds it acceptable also. Pop culture gives a sense of purpose and belonging. Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career? In order for a business to become successful they must know what their target audience wants and how to provide it. Knowing what is popular to your particular market can assist in the growth of your business significantly. Businesses that take no interest in pop culture limit themselves and the audience they are trying to attract. Popular culture can dictate whether a company’s profit margins increase or decrease allowing for success or failure. In my present career we are gradually moving into the new realm of what is considered pop culture. Within the payroll process there are certain opportunities where pop culture could be utilized, for instance, instead of providing the employee paper checks, one could offer re-loadable debit cards, along with online access to various payroll recorded information. My future career would heavily rely on knowing what is current and how to appeal to the younger demographics. To understand what incentive entice. What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it. The Disney High School Musical phenomenon is what I would classify as a pop culture artifact. When the original High School Musical came out it was just a Disney original movie, the success was astounding causing Disney to manufacture a sequel. The original movie stemmed into a media blitz, enticing schools everywhere to perform High School Musical the play. Clothing lines, music videos, CD’s and DVD’s with bonus extras shot of the shelves. The sequel was produced as a Disney Channel original movie, commanding equal attention. With the success of the first two a third High School Musical was born, however this one going straight to the theaters, drawing in an even larger crowd and greater revenues. The High School Musical explosion has drawn people from various genres, races, and economic backgrounds. According to Box Office Mojo, the High School Musical franchise brought in an estimated $42 million on its opening weekend the largest ever opening weekend for a musical.