3-3

My favorite website is Digg.com. This is a news site that pulls stories from all over the internet based upon popularity and includes everything from blog posts, to AP articles. The fact that it pulls information from all over the internet, means that you can see different viewpoints on different t subjects, and be exposed to news article that you may not have been given the chance to see by mainstream outlets. The articles are divided up into different categories such as Technology, Science, Sports, Offbeat etc. Digg became my favorite site because it is constantly changing and being updated with new content, and I like the fact that the stories or articles that are displayed are in a sense voted on by the Digg community. That is to say that the content would not appear on the site if it were not “Dugg” by enough people. With that being said, as a daily reader of Digg I have seen trends and common themes among the stories that appear and there are certainly stereotypes perpetuated by some of the content that appears. I would not say that these stereotypes are necessarily good or bad because generally the types of stereotypes may be along the lines of something like “computer nerds don’t have an active sex life”. Although in our culture this generally viewed as a negative stereotype the way the site presents the material is in a kind of tongue and cheek manner.

Some of the themes or recurrent types of information posted on Digg would be either positive news surrounding Obama or some opinionated piece of writing explaining why they think people that are at odds with Obama are wrong. So the stereotyping is not necessarily in the content provided, but actually lies in the fact that at some point the owners of Digg have stereotyped their audience and have decided that as a majority their audience was more likely to enjoy article that supports Obama and discredit the opposite party, rather than the other way around. This alright with me, and not necessarily because I support one political party or another, but simply because I am aware of this practice and I know if I want unbiased news all I need to do is simply find another site. The practice of predicting consumer’s tendencies is a long practiced highly valuable tool for the business world. Recently with advances in technology, and the creation of complicated algorithms companies have been able to make, with relative accuracy recommendations for the consumer. If anyone has ever done online shopping with Amazon they have certainly been prompted with the message “other customer also purchased this”. The same thing is true for services like Netflix; they are constantly making recommendations for me based upon my previous viewings, and not surprisingly have referred me to a lot of movies that I end of enjoying. So they are stereotyping me, they are saying well you like this; you must like this.

Stereotypes emerge for a lot of different reasons, in the examples I gave above they are emerging in an effort to better serve the consumer, and increase profits for business. So in this forum the stereotypes are a positive. The consumer gets more of what he/she wants, and in return the business can receive greater profits. Stereotypes also emerge from fear and are introduced as a control technique. Stereotypes based upon race or religions are perfect examples of stereotypes born out of fear, and I believe they still exist and continue to be believed because they are passed down to generations from people who actually believe them. In this case the stereotype is negative. Another example of a positive stereotype is that of a Police Officer. It is widely known that a Police Officer is a law enforcer and can be readily identified by his/her uniform. If people did not buy into the idea that Police Officers were a form of authority they would have no control over any other regular citizen. It is the stereotype that allows them to operate. Society’s ties to stereotypes are played out on a daily basis and one look no further than a television commercial. We are made to believe that by purchasing a product, it may put us in a different social class or failure to buy a certain product would lower us to another. For instance the purchase of a vehicle; while the Mercedes Benz may illicit stereotypes of social status, the person who drives the old rusty Buick that smokes out of the exhaust may be stereotyped negatively.

3-1

Following the prompt in the assignment description this weeks post is about the iPhone or about the ensuing battle for smart phone king between the iPhone and the new offering from Verizon Wireless The Droid. I chose to write about this because I am the new proud owner of said iPhone, and to my dismay one of my friends recently purchased a Droid and over the past week or so we have been at odds over which device is better.

We live in a culture that has technology engrained into it. We depend on it daily, and without things like cell phones and internet access many of us would not be able to complete the most basic of tasks. It is certainly a generational thing but we also have become accustomed to being constantly connected to our friends and peers using these technologies. With ample products available ready to meet these needs, in my mind two devices stand out as leader of the pack; the iPhone and The Droid. Obviously my opinion will be slanted but it’s my blog so I reserve the right to be biased and opinionated. The marketing for the Droid seems to be focused on all of the things the iPhone cannot do the problem I have with this tactic is this; I haven’t found myself trying to do something on the device and not being able to. Phone calls check, email check, music check, text check, check, check, check etc. etc.

Really in all actuality the devices do the same things and the only “real” problem I have with this debate is why I even care. Seriously! It’s just a phone and ownership of one or the other does not determine greatness as a person. But you have to pick a side in these matters and I have chosen my allegiance; at least for the next two years.

2-3 Myths

Romantic love is probably one of the most depicted myths perpetuated in popular culture today. The idea that there is a specific mate for all of us, and the notion that we are looking for each other and when found that we will only be separated by things outside of our control is theme played out in numerous books, plays, songs, and other mediums across our culture. From a very young age we are exposed to these stories and society has taught us that finding love is an important step in becoming whole as a person. As small children girls often play dress up and dress as brides and in some cases children may even play a role in adults’ weddings where they are again exposed to this cultural celebration of romantic love. The promise of lifelong companionship, passion and support all contribute to this idea and we as a culture broadly subscribe to this idea and many spend their entire lives trying to achieve and obtain this. (Lausé, K.)

The biggest difference between the myth of romantic love and the other popular culture myths is that the myth of romantic love is that of emotion, and lacks rationale. One cannot choose to be in love, nor do you find love yourself, instead love chooses you, or you “fall” into it. It is this distinction that separates the myth of romantic love from others such as the monomyth or the myth of good and evil. The myth of romantic love is void of intellect and control.

Although not a new idea or myth the myth of romantic love is fairly recent in its acceptance in popular culture. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the majority of marriages or unions were arranged and based upon the longevity of a family’s social status or for financial gain. It is widely speculated that Shakespeare himself often thought to be the epitome of a romantic in fact married for money.( Lausé, K.) The acceptance of romantic love by a culture can be traced back to the Romantic Movement in the late eighteenth century when the idea of falling in love was accepted by European culture. Although uncomfortable with ideas of eroticism of any sort early American Puritans culture was however centered around marriage and procreation.

The components of the romantic love myth are passion and intimacy. Passion is a powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, and in this myth that emotion is love. It can also be described as being compelled or driven towards something, and in the case of romantic love a person is driven or pulled toward s another. The second component of the romantic love myth is that of intimacy. The act of being close, trusting, open and caring towards another these components are generally reciprocated between two individuals in the romantic love myth.(Franzoi, S. L.)

The song “When a Man Loves a Woman” recoded by Percy Sledge is an example of the romantic love myth in pop culture. The song fulfills several of the components of the myth and is widely regarded as one of the greatest love songs. In the song the singer sings about being drawn to or compelled to be close to a woman, and acts selflessly to be by her side. He cannot keep his mind on anything else, and acts always with her in mind.

The movie with the same title “When a Man Loves a Women” is an example of a modern day love story. It is a story about a mans unconditional love for his wife. His love for her is plays a prominent part of his wife’s struggle to sobriety. Without his selflessness and understanding neither him, his wife or two daughters would be able to push though their hardships, for example, his determination to get his wife into rehab, while taking on the role of the mother and father to their daughters during her absence. Although he cannot completely understand his wife’s illness, he is never fails to be there for her.

The themes played out in these two examples re played out over and over again in pop culture. One of the reasons for this is artists can use this as a way to connect with their audience by portraying something that is widely thought to be a universal feeling. That is to say that we have all experienced this feeling of romantic love, or at least aware that it exists. I do not believe that my knowledge of the myth will affect how I view love movies or listen to love songs. I have always been aware of this theme, but not until this course was I aware of its placement in the category of popular culture myth.

2-2

When I was growing up without a doubt one off the most iconic people I can remember was Michael Jordan. I followed him and his career like no other. I watched every game, I was a devoted Chicago Bulls fan, and it seemed like we won and lost together Michael and I. To me he represented the embodiment of a champion and someone who was untouchable in their field.

Another person who I admired later on in life was Kurt Cobain. For one I really liked his music, and I always found it interesting how he seemed to not care…about anything. Something about that attitude drew me in as an adolescent and like many teenagers at that time I was a devout Cobain fan. He had this anti-establishment attitude and loud dark music that became the soundtrack fro a generation. The most tragic part about his existence is that he never wanted to be famous and ultimately became one of the largest music icons ever.

Around high school I became interested in art and one of the reasons for that was my introduction to an Artist named Basquiat. His work was not what I normally associated with when I heard the word “art”. Through books, movies and interviews I became more connected to the artist than the art itself and I really appreciated his rise to the top of his field.

2-1

Oprah Winfrey announced this week that she is ending her daytime talk show in 2011, after twenty five years of broadcast. Winfrey didn’t give much of an explanation as to her decision regarding ending the program but simply said that it had been the greatest time of her life, and that she knows when to stop. Winfrey is truly a pop culture icon and something of a role model for the millions of viewers who tune in everyday to see celebrities and cultural personalities interviewed on her Chicago set. Although she may be saying goodbye to her television show I don’t believe her impact on popular culture will be4 disappearing anytime soon. Winfrey still has a channel on satellite radio, a magazine, and multiple other avenues to reach her public following.

Although I am not a Oprah viewer I do recognize her influence on society I recently saw a program called The Oprah Effect and it basically outlines how any product or artist that Oprah recommends turns into the hottest thing overnight. She just has a level of trust with her huge audience that allows her to be extremely influential. Her affect on mainstream culture is something like that of Wal Mart. For instance Wal Mart decides to sell your product you’re a success, likewise if Oprah says that she likes you or your product riches follow.

Every time I hear the name Oprah Winfrey I am reminded of this SNL sketch where the women in Oprah’s audience scream with excitement every time she says something remotely interesting. Throughout the show the audiences excitement builds until Oprah gives everyone in the crowd a gift and the audience soon break out into an all out blood fest riot. Women are punching each other and tearing each others limbs off because they are so excited to receive the free stuff from Oprah. Although this skit is sensationalized and over the top it does however key in on the large dedicated following that Winfrey has accumulated over the years. I wonder what the millions of American housewives will do at four o’clock after September 2011?

Assignment 1-4

A conversation with a friend about the upcoming football games over the weekend took a rather odd turn. “Did you hear Obama is going to disclose the existence of aliens?” he asked me. “What?” I replied “Yeah, I heard from several reliable sources Obama is going to tell the American people that aliens do exist and is going to make public all of the files the government has on it.” Like I said this is an odd conversation topic that was seemingly pulled from thin air as I was moments before predicting Sunday afternoon outcomes, and talking Bengals strategy. But aliens? Come on.

Before I go any further I wan to make one thing clear; this post is not about aliens. I repeat not about aliens. Rather this post is about how information travels and how rumor is taken as fact, and no one blinks twice. My friend had said that he heard from several reliable resources of the alien revelation, but I suspect what meant to say was that he read it on a blog. That is the thing the internet has created a place where false information or slanted viewpoints can be displayed for all to see, and no one is there to correct or fact check any claims or ideas. The use of Wikipedia is a prime example of what can be passed as truth. I could log into Wikipedia and make an entry that on such and such date Obama announced to the world that aliens existed and later the president and the alien leader went to McDonalds’. It the same old saying that you can’t believe everything you read, but the internet has taken it to a whole new level.

I think this is a reoccurring theme in popular culture. Opinion or flat out rumor being taken as fact, and the truth skewed and the message spread like wildfire. About a month ago I was told by numerous friend and co workers that Lady Gaga was a transsexual. My reply to this was “Who is lady gaga?” The point to this that the rumor about the artist gender reached me before I was even aware of who (she?) was. It is a funny thing public opinion. Now it doesn’t matter if the rumor is proved to be true or false, it has been talked about so much that every time I hear about lady gaga I immediately associate her name with the rumor of her gender. It’s the same thing with the Obama/alien story my friend told me about. This morning when I was reading the news I half expected a headline about alien visitors, and mark my words after reading this you may too. I believe its called the power of suggestion.

http://popculture-scot.blogspot.com/

Assignment 1-2

Popular Culture is a set of ideas, beliefs, or activities that is deemed acceptable by the majority of a culture. It includes art,news,and any other form of media available, which we have seen overtime often changes. I believe that the one criteria that an item or such must meet in order to be defined as a part of pop culture is mass appeal or wide social acceptance.

The importance of pop culture in a business environment is a debatable subject. On one hand you could argue that the billboard top ten singles really holds no weight on the human resources department at company XYZ.(unless company XYZ is a record label) However if people are affected by elements of popular culture than in a indirect way pop culture is having an effect on the business environment just by simply existing.

I think one of the most iconic images that i can point to in my lifetime that is of interest in the arena of pop culture would be the iPod. The product is so en grained into our culture that spell check prompted me to format the spelling of it correctly. It has changed the way people listen to music, it has sparked debate over issues of ownership and copyright legalities, and beyond music has become a must have item for pop culture aficionados and a badge of cool for a generation.