Weekly Analysis 5

Since this week was about formulas I thought it fitting to talk about the formula used by the media. What I mean is, how they attract people into watching all these bad or potentially negative things. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be informed about what is going on in the world, because we should and as citizens of this country it is our right.

Have you noticed how in the last 6-8 months how much the news has changed and captivated us all at the same time? I mean every now and then they might have a good story or information but lately it's been a swarm of negativity.

It starts with the election, of course all the bad publicity comes out about the cadidates along with their good traits. Not only does info about the candidates come forward but how they are planning to "change" the country as well. When that fizzled out, all the buzz is about the economy and the state of the country. The Corporate bailouts, potential tax cuts, wall street. Then just as Obama's 100 days have passed, the Swine Flu occurs! "MEXICO CITY – The swine flu epidemic spread deeper into the United States, Europe and Latin America — and in Canada, back to pigs" (Anderson, Associated Press). I am not saying this isn't a serious matter and we shouldn't be informed but it would be nice to hear something good.

The formula is to keep the American people completely engaged in the news and it's working...a woman told me the other day she never used to watch the news but now she cannot turn it off! They want to keep them tuned in until they lose interest and then something else seems so important to tell us.

The only good thing I've heard on the news was about the British woman with the amazing voice! This is a good thing...it's always great to hear about someone with an amazing talent. I'd just like to hear more good things.

Anderson, J. (2009). New swine flu cases in Europe, US, Latin America. Associated Press. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from Yahoo News.

Assign 1-3 Journal Article Analysis

The article starts by talking about how moral standards have changed when it comes to movies and TV, what is allowed to be said and done and what isn’t. It also talks about how people today are discovering their own morals and setting their own values as opposed to following what we are taught in church, school and at home. This is true, the times have changed so much that what was once unacceptable in the subject of sex and sexuality is now the norm. In fact, it is unusual to watch a TV show or movie that doesn’t have some kind of sexual innuendo involved somewhere. It also expresses how our view of sex has changed; it went from being something that was never spoken about and something that was only accepted within a marriage to something we see everywhere, in movies, music, TV shows, music videos, and advertisements. And people have come to accept that it’s normal for people to be sexually active even if they aren’t married. It also talks about how Queer as Folk as introduced a whole new world of homosexual sexual activity.

It discussed how both shows presented the fact there is an absence of consideration of the partner in one’s sexual activity. It is definitely evident that people are more concerned today how they are perceived sexually. People are very selfish when it comes to sex and sexuality, only concerned with how they feel or perceive things to be. I like how it went through each stage Single or Married, Self-Care, Care for Others, and Honesty.

I personally do feel as though I am looked upon differently for being not only single but a single mother. Meaning, I am crushing some person’s moral compass that sex without marriage is wrong and having children out of wedlock is wrong and sinful. I realize that times have changed and there are a lot of single parents out in the world but there are still people out there that hold this to be true. I also like how the article pointed out that in both shows it seems like sexual freeness is viewed as a way of finding one’s self. It portrays that we should be proud to be who we are even if that means we are independent and choose not to conform to what society tells us to do.

In the world today, it is very common for young people to want to explore and become their own person before becoming a WE. More people are waiting to get married and have children until they have their education and careers set in motion. Women are having children into their forties today where it was looked at as strange decades ago.

I think the article did a good job at pointing out the differences and similarities not only between the two shows and their characters but to the world today. I have to wonder if we do live in a world where you are viewed differently for being single and if marriage is the ultimate goal or are we all just out to have fun? I think the point is that we have come to a point in society where people are making choices based on their own morals and values that may or may not have come from church, school, home or the popular culture of society. In fact, I think the changing of the popular culture in society has prompted people to start thinking and acting based on what and how they feel.

Cramer, J. M. (June 2007). Discourses of sexual morality in Sex and the City and Queer as Folk. Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 40, Issue 3, p.409-432.

Weekly Analysis 4

This weeks lesson is about heroes. Heroes can mean different things to different people. Children usually view heroes in the sense of a Superhero like Spiderman, Superman or the Hulk (I have a little boy so those are the ones I am more familiar with). As we grown into adults we view heroes in a different way. We realize that real people are heroes, even members of our family are our hero. My personal hero is my cousin Deanna, she had her first child at 16 and although society views this as a bad thing, my cousin stepped up and has been on her own since then. She is now 27 with 3 children and single. She finished her education, plans on attending college, owns her home and has been the sole provider for all 3 of her children for the last 10 years. She is my hero because as a single mother myself I look at the hard times she has been through and it gives me hope and strength to know that if she can do it with 3 children then I can do it with 1.

As the days go by and our country continues to struggle we are looking to our Hero; President Barack Obama, to help save us. Of course we must continue to soldier on but he gives us hope and let's us have faith in our leader and our country when just a few short months ago it seemed like all hope was lost. I got this next quote from Yahoo News, "WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's first 100 days on the job exploded with activity on many fronts: the $787 billion economic stimulus, the order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year, a withdrawal plan for Iraq , an expansion of U.S. forces in Afghanistan , and outreach to several hostile nations.Still, America's economic crisis largely shaped these 100 days. It also empowered Obama, even as it overshadowed some of what he'd hoped to do.Obama has benefitted from "a double lift-off," Baker said, "not only the normal honeymoon but, in addition, the fact that the American people and Congress are looking to him to get them out of a crisis" (Talev, April 26, 2009).

The problem with putting all of hopes in our President is that unfortunetly one man cannot fix our country. It is up to us, the American people, to help make the necessary changes to bring our country back from a state of fear. I had posted in an earlier blog about our country going GREEN, this is still a good idea and one that seems like more and more people are working on.

Another interesting thing I have begun to notice is that many car companies are now offering a Protection Plan, where most are offering new buyer the plan that if you lose your job after buying a new car, they will make your payments for up to 12 months...some only 9 months. Now as a marketing major..this is a great marketing incentive to customers however, the banks are still not letting go of their money to finance vehicles.

I say that we make eachother our heroes are start helping our President, keep putting faith in him and our country.

One more word...My Fiance is a Marine...so despite whether or not you agree with what our troops are doing, stand behind them because they are doing the work of REAL HEROES. Risking your life for a country and it's people, are you brave enough?? I'll admit that I'm not but I support them.

Talev, M. 2009. Obama's first 100 days in office haven't been quiet. McClatchy Newspapers Margaret Talev, Mcclatchy Newspapers – Sun Apr 26, 6:00 am ET. Retrieved April 26, 2009 from Yahoo News.

Weekly Analysis 3

Hello Everyone,

I apologize for being late on week 3. I have recently been diagnosed with Siatica but I am told that with proper medication, physical therapy, and rest it will get better and go away.

I wanted to do my analysis this week on a movie which came out to theaters a while ago but was just recently released on DVD and I bought it. "Marley & Me" starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. I thought that it went along with week three's theme of stereotypes. If you haven't seen this movie I recommend buying, renting, or borrowing from a friend because it is definitely a good flick. I was skeptical because basically everyone that had seen it told the ending but I wanted it anyway...I'm a movie collector, I think I have over 100 movies.

Anyway, the movies starts out with this newly married couple (Wilson & Aniston) that move to Florida and both write for newspapers. They buy a house and as the years start to go by Jenny begins to show and tell signs of wanting to start a family. Of course John (Wilson) is a little nervous about this (as most men are when it comes to starting a family) so he talks to one of his really good friends about it. His friend suggests getting Jenny a puppy because it will temporarily fullfil her need to start a family. That is a stereotype, although I will admit it does work for a little while LOL. John't friend suggests that he get her a labrador, because (Stereotype) they are generally good dogs. Have good tempraments and are easy to train. If you've ever had a dog, you know they are not "easy to train" but John decides this to be a good plan and hope that it will fullfil Jenny's "Mommy" need until he is ready to start a family. As the movies goes on Marely continues to show himself as "The world's worst dog". But as the Grogan's and their family continue to grow throughout the years; Marley is still there. Towards the end the Grogan's realize that Marley may have been "The world's worst dog" but their family wouldn't have been the same without him. They realized that Marley brought out the best in them...as most dogs do.

I myself am about to adopt a puppy, a Great Dane puppy in fact. And I view it as my Fiance and I's way of starting "our" family because niether one of us are ready for another baby. I have a 2 year old son and could potentially want another child soon but getting a dog with fullfil my needs for a little while LOL. When I decided to get a dog and told people what I was planning on getting, they all think I am crazy for wanted such a big dog. Dane's are big dogs, but I am not fond of little dogs. I had a Collie, Golden Retriever mix but she past away before last summer at the age of 15 and this time I wanted something different. Dane's are "supposed" to have good temperaments (here's my stereotype) and be good with kids. I was lucky enough to meet the parents of my pup and they are both very well mannered dog's and that is a plus because it is a preview of how my dog's attitude could be.

The truth is a dog is a dog and you have to be willing to take the time and make the effort to train them, walk them, play with them and just generally spend the time they need. I am very excited to bring this new addition home and my son and our pup "Cobe" (said like Kobe as in Kobe Bryant from the Lakers) can grow up together.

Weekly Analysis--Week 2

This week for my topic on popular culture I went in search of something that is really going on and is at the top of most Americans’ minds…well at least most of us. The economy and concepts of “GREEN” come into play. Lately, I have seen so many commercials and advertising for “GO GREEN” and I wonder why all of a sudden so many people are rallying behind this concept. I’m not much of a Democrat or even a Republican, I consider myself somewhere in the middle. I do not believe in helping those that won’t help themselves but I don’t believe in keeping the rich rich and the poor poor. Social classes are a part of being an American but in times like these we all need to get together to help each other.

In my search I found a very interesting article, “A Greener New Deal?” written by Alex Weinberg and found at http://www.americanpopularculture.com/emerging.htm, check it out if this interests you. He gives interesting ideas on “going green” that can also help the people and the economy. Basically, Alex speaks about how difficult the road ahead will be for our new President Obama because the American people are looking for someone who can “lower taxes, balance the budget, provide a bailout, increase domestic security, create a new health care system, AND create jobs”? Weinberg also goes into an idea to help with most of these issues. Most of us probably have a few ideas that can help “stimulate” our economy, or lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and maybe even ideas on how to create much needed jobs. Although he is one man and not many people read his article, he does provide a few good plans that if were possibly considered, could work.

The thing is, we need to stop providing these companies and banks with bailouts because what is happening is that they are taking the money and not redistributing it back into the economy which is what we need! Instead they are hording it so they can ensure they don’t go under, but without people to get loans and invest in these banks and companies; they wouldn’t be here in the first place. We also do not need individual stimulus packages. What we need, and it’s a vicious cycle, is jobs so that people can make money and therefore spend money which will stimulate the economy!! It’s a logical solution but somehow seems impossible to manage.

People keep talking about going into another depression but if you get the chance to speak with senior citizens that lived through the first one, they can tell you we are not experiencing a depression, just some really bad times. But if things don’t get better and find a way out, we could find ourselves…..depressed.

Icon Analysis

The Icons that I have chosen are Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Britney Spears, and Facebook/Myspace. Extreme Makeover Home Edition is hosted by Ty Pennington, who got his start on TLC’s Trading Spaces as a carpenter. Now he goes around the U.S. helping families live better. Providing troubled and struggling families with better homes, great opportunities, and dream vacations. Basically the show chooses one family that has been struggling to overcome disappointment, frustration, adversity, and lots of times it is a family that struggles to make a difference in other people’s lives. I have also chosen Britney Spears, now most of you are probably wondering why. Britney Spears, although recently experiencing life difficulties in the spot light, was the beginning of young teen girl idols for America. Lastly, I chose together Face book and MySpace because both sites, although different, provide the same linkage of people across the nation through the internet.

I chose Extreme Makeover Home Edition because it is a show that provides hope and healing not only to those families that are selected for a dream come true but also for the audience watching at home. This show demonstrates that there is still good in the world and there are still people out there that are trying to make it a better place. When they show some of the homes and describe the lives of the family chosen, we as the audience clearly see why this family was nominated and chosen and we know in our hearts that they deserve this opportunity. Seeing the look and reactions of that family at the end of the show is always thanks enough for the crew and sponsors that made it happen. I find it pretty amazing that the crews can put together an entire house in one week. That is hard work and dedication to making the dreams of one family come true. Knowing that maybe because of this, that family won’t have has many hard times or as many struggles as they once had.

Britney Spears started out with a bang! She was the highest grossing female entertainer before she was even 21 years old. She took the pop music world by storm with her catching songs, amazing dance moves, and that little thing we call sex appeal. She changed the entertainment world with her concerts, videos and music. Britney was always pushing the envelope and people were watching to see what she was going to do next. However, I think that in recent year’s people and the media have forgotten that although an entertainer, Britney is still just a young girl with down-home dreams of being a mother and a wife. People often scrutinize her choices but fail to look at their own. Britney is a symbol of hope and inspiration. She proves that it’s not always the greatest to be at the top, that it’s ok to fall down, and when you do, you just have to pick yourself back up.

Lastly, Face Book and Myspace. I put them together because although they started out as two different sites for connecting with friends, their intentions were still the same. Both sites are the idea and concept to get and keep connected to your friends from all over the world. Both sites allow you to talk about yourself, your likes, hobbies, and heroes and to “comment” or “write wall-to-wall” with your friends. Both sites are adding games and applications that can be played and shared amongst your friends. Although not many people realize this, Face Book and MySpace have also changed the employment world because employers are now able to access your Face Book or MySpace and look at your information and can predetermine whether or not they want to hire you based on your pictures you post, comments to friends, and your blogs/notes. In this busy, technological world, these two sites are keeping people together and informed.

Assignment 1-4

It is interesting that the example was the iPhone because with the introduction of the iPhone has come the introduction of a new technology...the touch screen!

I won't lie I spent $400 on an iPhone and that was before the new faster iPhone was introduced with the faster 3G network! When it was first introduced people were amazed at the capabilities of having all those amenities and applications literally at their fingertips. Most people that don't have it look at it as possibly one of the hardest devices to operate when in all actuality I have found it to be the easiest phone I've ever had. In fact, when someone hands me a regular cell phone I say, "how do you work this"?

All this new technology of the touch screen launched more items available with touch screen capabilities and has now even become a competition and its not just among celluar phones.

Of course Apple introduced along with the iPhone their iPod touch which is like the iPhone only without phone capabilities, which to me is silly, why not just buy the phone it has all the same stuff and you can call people! Then more than a year later Blackberry has just introduced their new phone available exclusively at Verizon Wireless just as the iPhone is available exclusively at AT&T. The new Blackberry Storm! A touch screen phone, where have I seen this concept before? I have a friend that owned the iPhone but wanted the Storm so she sold her iPhone on Ebay and bought the Storm, a week later she tells me she hates the Storm and wishes she never sold her iPhone. Everyone will be different of course, those that didn't have the iPhone will probably like the Storm but once you get used to a certain kind of technology it is hard to try something else and the Storm is definitely different.

Along with touch screen cell phones and iPod's, Hewlett Packard (HP) has introduced their newest computer, The Touch Screen PC!! Very exciting! Can you imagine being able to surf the internet page by page just by touching your computer screen? This is incredible technology and I have to say that I really want one.

I am certain that their is a company out there trying to create a touch screen TV as well if they haven't already. Eventually the entire world will be accessible with the touch of a finger!

What is Popular Culture?

Popular culture is the collection of ideas that are popular, well-liked or common and create the prevailing culture. These ideas are heavily influenced by mass media. Popular culture is the views and perspectives most strongly represented and accepted within a society. With that being said, I have to wonder that if all the things presented to us from the media is actually widely accepted by everyone, especially the current entertainment industry. The language in music and movies has become very vulgar as well. In fact, even the movies created for children seem to have some adult humor involved these days. The children’s movies are becoming violent as well, like Spiderman, The Hulk, and Iron Man. Are we teaching our young boys that violence is ok and accepted? I realize that the movies and music alone cannot influence our children but if we as parents are allowing them to witness these things I believe we are subconsciously saying that violence, vulgar language and the exploitation of women is ok. So here’s my question, when presented with media like that and knowing it’s going to continue, are we as a culture saying we accept this?

The relevance of popular culture in business and careers will depend on what type of industry a person works in. I want to seek a career in sales, meaning advertising and marketing so current cultural aspects will greatly affect my career. I should always be on top of what the people want and expect.

I have chosen the digital camera to be an example of a pop culture artifact. As we continue to move forward with technology, digital is becoming a great part of our culture. It doesn’t matter what it is, our cable is becoming digital, our phone services, our TV’s, within the next few years, everything will become digital. The digital camera has come quite a long way just in the last few years. Cameras are our way to capture all the moments in our lives that we want to remember and look back on and digital cameras are making that even better.